Wakefield station (Metro-North)

Wakefield station (also known as Wakefield–East 241st Street station) is a commuter rail stop on the Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line, serving the Wakefield section of the Bronx, New York City. The station is located on East 241st Street and is the last stop in New York City on the Harlem Line.

Wakefield
Wakefield station in April 2015 from the outbound platform.
General information
LocationWakefield, Bronx, New York
Coordinates40.9062°N 73.8554°W / 40.9062; -73.8554
Owned byMetro-North Railroad
Line(s)Harlem Line
Platforms2 island platforms
Tracks4
ConnectionsNew York City Subway:
"2" train at Wakefield–241st Street
New York City Bus: Bx39
Other information
Fare zone2
History
Electrified700V (DC) third rail
Previous namesWashingtonville[1]
Passengers
2018757[2] (Metro-North)
Rank63 of 109[2]
Services
Preceding station Metro-North Railroad Following station
Woodlawn
toward Grand Central
 Harlem Line Mount Vernon West
toward North White Plains
Former services
Preceding station New York Central Railroad Following station
Woodlawn
toward New York
 Harlem Division Mount Vernon
toward Chatham

Though there is no direct connecting bus service at the station, five blocks east from the station is the Wakefield–241st Street station (2 train) on the IRT White Plains Road Line of the New York City Subway, the northernmost station in the system.

History

Early history

The New York and Harlem Railroad laid tracks through Wakefield and Washingtonville during the mid-1840s as part of their effort to expand the line to Tuckahoe. The original name of the station was "Washingtonville," which was a segment of the neighborhood of Wakefield until the early-20th Century. Sometime between 1894 and 1905, the name of the station was changed to Wakefield, despite the fact that Washingtonville still existed as a neighborhood in the Bronx at the time. The station was the northern terminus of electrification for the Harlem Line in 1907 until it was expanded to White Plains in 1909.

Destruction and rebuilding

The station depot burned in a fire on August 15, 1953.[3][4] After the fire, the New York Central petitioned the Public Service Commission (PSC) for permission to discontinue the station. It argued that the station's low ridership did not justify rebuilding the station, and that riders could use the nearby Mount Vernon or Woodlawn stations.[5] On September 3, 1953, the City Manager of Yonkers said that the City of Yonkers would oppose the discontinuation of the station.[6]

On October 16, 1953, twenty commuters protested the plan to close the station at a public hearing.[7] On November 16, 1953, at the final hearing, the assistant corporation counsel of Yonkers said that the Central had given the impression that it would at a minimum construct new platforms at the station site. He also said that commuter groups and representatives of municipalities from the Bronx and Yonkers had agreed that constructing a 150 feet (46 m)-long platform with a 51 feet (16 m)-long canopy on each platform would be sufficient. At the hearing, the Central's attorney denied to agree to rebuild the station. The railroad considered the $28,000 cost for the project to be prohibitive. The attorney for the railroad stated building an exact reproduction of the station would cost $56,500. Constructing concrete platforms, instead of wooden platforms, would have raised the cost to $85,500.[8]

On December 14, 1953, the PSC denied the Central's petition to discontinue service, and ordered the railroad to restore service to the station by January 4, 1954, and to rebuild the station with two 148 feet (45 m) platforms with canopies.[9] In addition, stairways, and enclosures would be repaired, and signage and lighting would be installed.[10] However, the PSC gave the Central permission to discontinue the station's part-time agent.[11]

Later years

High-level platforms were added to the stations in 1976, replacing lower wooden ones.

On September 29, 2013, 17-year-old Mount Saint Michael Academy student Matthew Wallace was struck and killed by a northbound train. Five years later, Metro North officials announced that security cameras will be installed at all stations on the Harlem and New Haven lines in order to address public safety concerns. A permanent, makeshift memorial constructed by Wallace's family and friends stands at the station's only entrance.[12][13][14]

Station layout

The station has two high-level island platforms, each four cars long[15]: 10  and accessible by stairway from the north side of East 241st Street. Because of these short platform lengths, only four cars can receive and discharge passengers at the station.

G Street level Exit/entrance and buses
P
Platform level		 Track 4 ←      Harlem Line toward Grand Central (Woodlawn)
Island platform, doors will open on the left or right
Track 2 ←      Harlem Line toward Grand Central (Woodlawn)
←      Harlem Line express service does not stop here
Track 1 ←      Harlem Line express service does not stop here →
←      Harlem Line toward North White Plains (Mount Vernon West) →
Island platform, doors will open on the left or right
Track 3 ←      Harlem Line toward North White Plains (Mount Vernon West) →

References
  1. New York Central & Hudson River Railroad; Harlem Division Map; November 30, 1894 (Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association)
  2. METRO-NORTH 2018 WEEKDAY STATION BOARDINGS. Market Analysis/Fare Policy Group:OPERATIONS PLANNING AND ANALYSIS DEPARTMENT:Metro-North Railroad. April 2019. p. 6.
  3. "Fire Destroys Bronx Railroad Station, Halts Train Service Through Harlem Valley". The Poughkeepsie Journal. August 16, 1953. p. 1. Retrieved April 2, 2018 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  4. "Fire Destroys Bronx Rail Station; Ties Up Harlem Division 2 Hours; Rail Station Fire Disrupts Service". The New York Times. August 16, 1953. p. 1. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  5. "End of Station Debated; P. S. C. Hears Arguments on the Wakefield Site in Bronx". The New York Times. November 17, 1953. p. 34. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  6. "Yonkers Opposes Central Plan To Abandon Wakefield Station". The Herald Statesman. Yonkers, New York. September 3, 1953. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  7. "Wakefield Station Closing Protested". The Daily Item. Port Chester, New York. October 16, 1953. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  8. "Boland Accuses N.Y. Central Of Wakefield Station 'Sellout'". The Herald Statesman. Yonkers, New York. November 17, 1953. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  9. "Order Wakefield Stop by Central". New York Daily News. December 16, 1953. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  10. "Wakefield Station Ordered Restored". The Daily Item. Port Chester, New York. December 14, 1953. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  11. "ALL OFF FOR WAKEFIELD; P.S.C. Tells Central to Restore Service at Bronx Station". The New York Times. December 16, 1953. p. 31. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  12. Murphy, Mary; Tanner, Jeremy (January 7, 2014). "Parents of teen killed by Metro-North train demand details on death". WPIX 11 New York. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  13. Murphy, Mary (September 30, 2014). "Teen's death on Metro-North tracks does not spawn change one year later". WPIX 11 New York. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  14. Juva-Brown, Theresa (June 19, 2014). "Parents of Yonkers teen killed by train seek answers". lohud.com. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  15. "Metro-North Railroad Track & Structures Department Track Charts Maintenance Program Interlocking Diagrams & Yard Diagrams 2015" (PDF). Metro-North Railroad. 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
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