Fordham (Metro-North station)

Fordham
A New Haven Line train bypassing Fordham
Location	417 East Fordham Road (190th Street) Fordham, Bronx, New York 10458
Coordinates	40°51′42″N 73°53′26″W / 40.861534°N 73.890561°W / 40.861534; -73.890561
Owned by	Metro-North Railroad
Line(s)	Harlem Line   New Haven Line
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	4
Connections	NYCT Bus, MTA Bus and Bee-Line Bus (see Fordham Plaza Bus Terminal below)
Construction
Disabled access	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	2
Electrified	700V (DC) third rail
Services
Preceding station   Metro-North Railroad   Following station Tremont toward Grand Central Harlem Line Botanical Garden toward Wassaic   Limited   Harlem – 125th Street toward Grand Central New Haven Line Mount Vernon East toward New Haven State Street   Former services   New York Central Railroad 183rd Street toward New York City Harlem Division Botanical Garden toward Chatham

Fordham' (also known as Fordham – East 190th Street) is a Metro-North Railroad station serving the Fordham neighborhood of the Bronx, New York. Located on the Harlem and New Haven Lines, the station is 8.9 miles (14.3 km) from Grand Central Terminal. The platforms are situated just below street level and feature two expanded side platforms that serve eight cars each, on the outer tracks. The station building sits above the tracks on the Fordham Road (East 190th Street) overpass, and still bears the name New York Central Railroad on its facade. This station is among the busiest in the Metro-North system.^[1][2]

History

The New York and Harlem Railroad laid tracks through Fordham as far back as 1842, and a station is known to have existed shortly afterwards.^[3] The New York and Harlem was bought by the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad in 1864. A March 17, 1848 agreement gave the New York and New Haven Railroad trackage rights over the NY&H from Williamsbridge south into New York City. NY&NH was merged with the Hartford and New Haven Railroad to form the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad in 1872, and the trackage rights along the Harlem Division remained intact. Throughout the late-19th Century, the Harlem Division was widened and rebuilt into an open cut line as part of a grade elimination project, and Fordham Station was one of several in the Bronx that were rebuilt with a station house on a bridge over all four tracks, including Melrose, the former Morrisania and Tremont stations.^[4][5] The reconstruction of the Harlem Line in this area lead to the creation of Fordham Plaza.^[6]

The station building (at left) in 2013

Two major milestones of the early 20th Century brought an increase in ridership to the station. The Interborough Rapid Transit extended the Third Avenue Elevated Line to Fordham Station, bringing a rapid transit connection, on July 1, 1901. Pelham Avenue station was the northern terminus of the line until it was extended to Bronx Park Terminal ten months later. As a result, the Third Avenue Railway also began to operate from Fordham Plaza converting it into the major transit hub that it is to this day. Due to the popularity of football games between the Fordham Rams and Yale Bulldogs in the 1920s, joint service between the New York Central Railroad and New York, New Haven and Hartford was moved from Woodlawn station to Fordham, where it remains.^[7]

As with other NYC stations in the Bronx, the station became a Penn Central station once the NYC & Pennsylvania Railroads merged in 1968. Penn Central acquired the New Haven Railroad in 1969, thus transforming the station into a full Penn Central station. However, because of the railroad's serious financial distress following the merger, commuter service was turned over to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 1972. To make matters worse, the connection to the Fordham Road – 190th Street station as well as the rest of the IRT Third Avenue Line was eliminated in 1973, although the station still had a major mass transit connection in the form of Fordham Plaza. The station and the railroad were turned over to Conrail in 1976, and eventually became part of the MTA's Metro-North Railroad in 1983. Metro-North extended the platforms to handle longer trains in the 1990s, and removed the luncheonette and other local businesses that operated from the station.

Major renovations to Fordham station were completed on November 22, 2016. The renovation's scope included a new entrance leading directly to Webster Avenue and 193rd Street, a new permanent artwork, and a rebuilt northbound platform. The northbound platform was widened from being just under ten feet wide to being nineteen feet wide. This was made possible with the acquisition of property from Fordham University. At the north end of the southbound platform a ramp was installed. Both platforms received rehabilitated elevators, new LED lighting, new benches and canopies, real-time information monitors, and public address systems.^[8]

Service

Most service is provided to Grand Central Terminal by local Harlem Line trains from and to North White Plains. These trains run at least every half-hour on weekdays and Saturdays, and hourly on Sundays. However, during the reverse peak (outbound from GCT mornings and inbound evenings) through trains to and from Southeast also serve this station. On early weekend mornings and late evenings, a few local trains direct to/from Southeast stop here as well.

The station is partially served by off-peak New Haven Line trains coming to/from Stamford, and some peak trains. It is the only station in the Bronx that New Haven Line trains serve daily (New Haven Line trains do serve Yankee Stadium directly, using the Mott Haven wye, for some games). Grand Central-bound trains may stop at Fordham to discharge passengers; Stamford-bound trains may stop at Fordham to receive passengers, however passengers to/from Grand Central are required to take the Harlem Line. This is due to Metro-North's operating agreement with the Connecticut Department of Transportation.^[9] This station is the busiest reverse-peak commutation station in the country.^[8]

Neighborhood

This station is adjacent to the western end of the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University. It is part of the Fordham Plaza complex which is served by several Bronx and Westchester bus routes. The area is a commercial hub with many shops, especially along Fordham Road going west (known as "Fordham Center"). One Fordham Plaza, an office building with several shops, is located on the southeast corner of Fordham Road and Third Avenue, across from the bus terminal.^[10][11]

This station is located in Zone 2.

Platform and track configuration

The nearby Fordham Bus Plaza at Fordham Metro-North station in 2011.

This station has two high-level side platforms each eight cars long. Both are accessible via stairways from the station building and from Fordham Plaza.

The western platform, adjacent to Track 4, is generally used by southbound trains. The eastern platform, adjacent to Track 3, is generally used by northbound trains.

Metro-North has four tracks at this location. The two inner tracks not adjacent to either platform are used only by express trains.

Fordham Plaza Bus Terminal

The following bus routes serve the Fordham Plaza area; the Bx1, Bx2, and Bx34 local buses and the BxM4 express bus stop on or near Grand Concourse several blocks west.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Fordham (Metro-North station).

• Metro-North Railroad - Fordham
• Upcoming train departure times and track assignments from MTA
• Station House from Google Maps Street View

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