New York & Harlem Railroad

New York and Harlem Railroad

New York and Harlem Railroad (red) and New York Central system (orange) as of 1918
Locale	New York
Dates of operation	1832 – 1873 (main line) 1832 – 1896 and 1920–1935 (streetcars)
Successor	New York Central Railroad (north of 42nd Street) New York City Railway (south of 42nd Street)
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge

The New York and Harlem Railroad (now the Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line) was one of the first railroads in the United States, and was the world's first street railway. Designed by John Stephenson, it was opened in stages between 1832 and 1852 between Lower Manhattan to and beyond Harlem. Initially using horses, the line was partially converted to use steam engines and then electricity, using a battery-powered Julien electric traction car. In 1907 the then leaseholders of line, New York City Railway went into receivership. Following a further receivership in 1932 the New York Railways Corporation converted the line to bus operation. The Murray Hill Tunnel now carries a lane of road traffic, but not the buses.

The line became part of the New York Central Railroad system with trackage rights granted to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad into Manhattan. It is now part of the Metro-North Railroad system, and the only Manhattan trackage of that system.

The company was incorporated on April 25, 1831 as the New York and Harlem Railroad, to link New York City with suburban Harlem. Among the company's founders was John Mason, a wealthy banker and president of Chemical Bank who was among the largest landowners in New York City. They decided to build their railroad on the eastern side of Manhattan Island, convinced that their railroad would never be able to compete with steamboat traffic on the Hudson River.