# Southern Tier Line

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Tier_Line
> Source revision: 1316714550
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{short description|Norfolk Southern rail line in New York and Pennsylvania}}

{{Infobox rail line
| box_width     = 
| name          = Southern Tier Line
| image         = {{maplink-road}}
| image_width   = 
| caption       = 
| type          = [Freight rail](/source/Freight_rail)
| system        = Norfolk Southern
| status        = Active
| locale        = [Upstate New York](/source/Upstate_New_York), [Delaware Water Gap](/source/Delaware_Water_Gap)
| start         = [Suffern](/source/Suffern%2C_New_York)
| end           = [Buffalo](/source/Buffalo%2C_New_York)
| stations      = 
| open          = <!-- {{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} -->
| close         = 
| owner         = [Norfolk Southern Railway](/source/Norfolk_Southern_Railway)
| operator      = {{Plainlist|
* [Norfolk Southern Railway](/source/Norfolk_Southern_Railway)
* [Metro-North Railroad](/source/Metro-North_Railroad)
* [Central New York Railroad](/source/Central_New_York_Railroad)
}}
| linelength    = 
| tracks        = 1-2
| gauge         = {{RailGauge|ussg|allk=on}}
| electrification = 
| speed           = 
| map             = {{Southern Tier Line}}
| map_state       = collapsed
}}
left|thumb|Southern Tier Line railroad bridge over the Delaware River at Tusten NY / Lackawaxen PA
The '''Southern Tier Line''' is a [railroad](/source/railroad) line owned and operated by the [Norfolk Southern Railway](/source/Norfolk_Southern_Railway) in the [U.S. state](/source/U.S._state)s of [New York](/source/New_York_(state)) and [Pennsylvania](/source/Pennsylvania). The line was built by the [Erie Railroad](/source/Erie_Railroad) and its predecessors and runs from [Buffalo, New York](/source/Buffalo%2C_New_York), to [Suffern, New York](/source/Suffern%2C_New_York). From its east end, NS has [trackage rights](/source/trackage_rights) south on the [New Jersey Transit](/source/New_Jersey_Transit) [Main](/source/Main_Line_(New_Jersey_Transit)) and [Bergen County Line](/source/Bergen_County_Line)s to [Conrail](/source/Conrail)'s [North Jersey Shared Assets Area](/source/North_Jersey_Shared_Assets_Area).

From Port Jervis to Binghamton, the line is leased to and maintained by the [Central New York Railroad](/source/Central_New_York_Railroad), part of the [Delaware Otsego Corporation](/source/Delaware_Otsego_Corporation). It junctions with the [Lake Erie District](/source/Lake_Erie_District) at its west end. Along the way it meets the [Corning Secondary](/source/Corning_Secondary) at [Corning, New York](/source/Corning_(city)%2C_New_York). The [Metro-North Railroad](/source/Metro-North_Railroad) leases the line from Suffern to Port Jervis and operates the [Port Jervis Line](/source/Port_Jervis_Line) commuter rail service.

==History==
The oldest piece of the line, from Suffern to Newburgh Junction in [Woodbury, New York](/source/Woodbury%2C_Orange_County%2C_New_York), opened in 1841 as part of the [New York and Erie Rail Road](/source/New_York_and_Erie_Rail_Road).<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1841%20May%2004.wd.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1841 }}&nbsp;{{small|(60.7&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, May 2004 Edition</ref> Extensions opened to [Port Jervis](/source/Port_Jervis%2C_NY) and [Binghamton](/source/Binghamton%2C_NY) in 1848,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1848%20Apr%2005.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1848 }}&nbsp;{{small|(38.1&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, April 2005 Edition</ref> [Owego](/source/Owego_(village)%2C_New_York) in 1849,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1849%20Apr%2005.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1849 }}&nbsp;{{small|(43.2&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, April 2005 Edition</ref> and [Dunkirk](/source/Dunkirk%2C_NY) (leaving the Southern Tier Line at [Hornell](/source/Hornell%2C_NY)) in 1851.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1851%20Mar%2005.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1851 }}&nbsp;{{small|(67.7&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, March 2005 Edition</ref> At the Buffalo end, the [Attica and Buffalo Railroad](/source/Attica_and_Buffalo_Railroad) opened from Buffalo east to [Attica](/source/Attica_(town)%2C_New_York) in 1842,<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1842%20May%2004.wd.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1842 }}&nbsp;{{small|(70.6&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, May 2004 Edition</ref> but was part of the [New York Central Railroad](/source/New_York_Central_Railroad) system until 1852, when it was sold to the [Buffalo and New York City Railroad](/source/Buffalo_and_New_York_City_Railroad) east of [Depew](/source/Depew%2C_NY). Also in 1852, the Buffalo and New York City Railroad built southeast from Attica to Hornell and west from Depew to Buffalo.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1852%20Mar%2005.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1852 }}&nbsp;{{small|(83.5&nbsp;[KiB](/source/Kibibyte))}}, March 2005 Edition</ref> The entire line became part of the Erie Railroad through leases and mergers.

Norfolk Southern leased the section between Suffern and Port Jervis to the Metro-North Railroad on March 31, 2003.<ref>{{cite magazine | title=Abandonments & Acquisitions | magazine=[Trains](/source/Trains_(magazine)) | volume=63 | issue=7 | issn=0041-0934 | page=15 | date=July 2003}}</ref> It leased the section between Port Jervis and Binghamton to the [Central New York Railroad](/source/Central_New_York_Railroad) on December 31, 2004.{{sfnp|Hartley|2005}}

Nearer the western end, the line passes through [Letchworth State Park](/source/Letchworth_State_Park), and over the [Portage Viaduct](/source/Portage_Viaduct).{{sfnp|Stamp|2022}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{cite magazine | last=Hartley | first=Scott A. | title=A stretch of the old Erie has another new operator: CNY | magazine=[Trains](/source/Trains_(magazine)) | volume=65 | issue=4 | issn=0041-0934 | page=16 | date=April 2005}}
* {{cite magazine |last=Stamp |first=Paul |date=25 January 2022 |title=Railfanning the NS Southern Tier Line Part 1: Buffalo to Hornell |url=https://railpace.com/railfanning-the-ns-southern-tier-line-part-1-buffalo-to-hornell/ |magazine=Railpace Newsmagazine |publisher=White River Productions |location=[Bucklin, Missouri](/source/Bucklin%2C_Missouri) |issn=0745-5267 |access-date=13 October 2025}}

Category:Norfolk Southern Railway lines
Category:Erie Railroad
Category:Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad

Category:Rail infrastructure in New York (state)
Category:Rail infrastructure in Pennsylvania
Category:Erie Railroad lines

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Southern Tier Line](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Tier_Line) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_Tier_Line?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.