Clifton station (Staten Island Railway)

The Clifton station is a Staten Island Railway station in the neighborhood of Clifton, Staten Island, New York. This station was the original terminal of the Staten Island Railway from 1860 until 1886. The station was known as Vanderbilt's Landing, and was used as a transfer point for passengers going to Manhattan via ferries to South Ferry.

Clifton
Staten Island Railway station (rapid transit)
Tottenville Local arriving at Clifton
General information
LocationBay Street & Townsend Avenue
Clifton, Staten Island
Coordinates40.6215°N 74.0715°W / 40.6215; -74.0715 (Clifton Station)
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus transport NYCT Bus: S51, S81
Construction
Structure typeEmbankment / Elevated
Other information
Station code504
History
OpenedApril 23, 1860[1]
Previous namesVanderbilt's Landing
Vanderbilt Avenue
Services
Preceding station Staten Island Railway Following station
Stapleton
toward St. George
 Grasmere
toward Tottenville
Former services
Preceding station Staten Island Railway Following station
Terminus South Beach Branch Bachmann
Closed 1937
toward Wentworth Avenue

History
Vanderbilt Avenue station, Clifton, early 20th century

This station was originally known as Vanderbilt's Landing and opened on April 23, 1860 with the opening of the Staten Island Railway, and was the northern terminal for the line. The line extended from Vanderbilt's Landing to Eltingville.[1][2][3] The station was also once known as Vanderbilt Avenue.[4] It also included a ferry port with ferries to Stapleton, Tompkinsville, and South Ferry in Manhattan.[5] The port was replaced by Saint George Terminal on March 7, 1886, which was also the day before Clifton became the northern terminus of the South Beach Branch, a status it maintained until 1953.

In 2019, the MTA announced that this station would become ADA-accessible as part of the agency's 2020–2024 Capital Program.[6]

Station layout

Clifton station is located at Norwood Avenue and Bay Street on the main line. It is located on an embankment with side platforms and beige canopies.

The SIR's Clifton Yard is next to the northbound track, with yard leads and signals north of Clifton station. South of the station are the remains of the South Beach Branch turnout and a dismantled bridge.[7] To the south, a spur on a pair of I-beams on concrete pillars is the location of an old coal, concrete, and lumber business. South of this station, the SIR main line turns southwest to Tottenville, and no longer runs along the harbor front.

Due to the wide space from trains caused by the platform's curvature, the last car for St. George-bound trains do not open here.[8]

Platform
level		 Side platform
Southbound ← toward Tottenville (Grasmere)
← rush hour express does not stop here
Northbound → toward St. George (Stapleton) →
→ AM rush express does not stop here →
Side platform
Ground Street level Exit/entrance, buses

Exits
Northbound entrance, Bay Street

The north end has exits on both platforms that lead to Bay Street. The southbound platform has winding stairs to Townsend Avenue while the northbound platform has stairs under the right-of-way to Norwood Avenue. The northbound platform also has a second staircase on Bay and Edgewater Streets, which is not present on the southbound side.[9]

On Bay Street (sidewalk level) and facing the platform above, are remains of the original steps up to the old station platform, which became inaccessible when the platforms were extended in the 1990s. On the southbound side there is a station house on the outside, but only a shelter on the platform. Some of the boarded up windows and layout of the brick shelter suggest that it was originally a station house.

References
  1. Irvin Leigh and Paul Matus (December 23, 2001). "SIRT The Essential History". p. 4. Archived from the original on January 4, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
  2. Poster for opening of Staten Island Railway
  3. "Staten Island News". The New York Times. August 25, 1860. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 18, 2015.
  4. "Vanderbilt Avenue Staten Island Rapid Transit station". silive.com. Retrieved February 25, 2018 – via Staten Island Museum.
  5. "New York City and Vicinity Rail Map 1860". brooklynrail.net. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  6. "Press Release - MTA Headquarters - MTA Announces 20 Additional Subway Stations to Receive Accessibility Improvements Under Proposed 2020-2024 Capital Plan". MTA. December 19, 2019. Retrieved December 25, 2019.
  7. Owen, Gary. "Gary Owen's SIRT Page". gretschviking.net. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
  8. "Please use the first three cars to enter or exit the train at the following stations". web.mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved December 24, 2017.
  9. "Map of NYC Subway Entrances". NYC Open Data. City of New York. Retrieved July 10, 2018.

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