Appalachian Trail station is a

commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...

stop on the

Metro-North Railroad Metro-North Railroad , trading as MTA Metro-North Railroad, is a suburban commuter rail service run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a New York State public benefit corporations, public authority of the U.S. state of New Yor ...

Harlem Line The Metro-North Railroad Harlem Line, originally chartered as the New York and Harlem Railroad, is an commuter rail line running north from New York City to Wassaic, in eastern Dutchess County. The lower from Grand Central Terminal to Southea ...

, serving campers and hikers destined for the

Appalachian Trail The Appalachian Trail (also called the A.T.), is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine, and passing through 14 states.Gailey, Chris (2006)"Appalachian Tr ...

, in

Pawling, New York Pawling may refer to: *Pawling (town), New York, in Dutchess County **Pawling (village), New York, in the town of Pawling ***Pawling (Metro-North station), train station for the village **Pawling Nature Reserve, in the northern section of the to ...

. It is the only rail station directly located on the Appalachian Trail. Trains stop at here on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays only. The

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

State line is about from the station. It is from

Grand Central Terminal Grand Central Terminal (GCT; also referred to as Grand Central Station or simply as Grand Central) is a commuter rail terminal located at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Grand Central is the southern terminus ...

, which takes approximately 1 hour 52 minutes. The station is the northernmost station in the Zone 8 Metro-North fare zone. There are no transportation connections via bus or taxi, but

New York State Route 22 New York State Route 22 (NY 22) is a north–south state highway that parallels the eastern border of the U.S. state of New York, from the outskirts of New York City to the hamlet of Mooers in Clinton County near the Canadian border ...

is only steps away from the station.

Description and history

The station was built in three months by Metro-North Railroad forces in 1990 for the cost of $10,000. The station opened on April 1, 1990. Its creation was the suggestion of George Zoebelein, who was an avid hiker and a veteran of the NY/NJ Trail Conference as well as both the NY/NJ Appalachian Trail Conferences, and also served as a member of the Metro-North Railroad Commuter Council (MNRCC) of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee (PCAC) to the

Metropolitan Transportation Authority The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the New York City metropolitan area of the U.S. state of New York. The MTA is the largest public transit authority in th ...

. It is one of three limited service stops operated by Metro-North primarily for hikers, the other two being and on the Hudson Line. The trail itself crosses the track just south of the station. In the northbound direction, it leads immediately to a small grassy parking area along Route 22 with space for a few cars, then follows the highway to paved turnouts with more space a few hundred feet north along either side of the highway, just north of where it leaves the road and starts climbing toward Hammersly Ridge and the

Pawling Nature Preserve The Pawling Nature Reserve is located in the northern section of the Town of Pawling, New York, United States. It is a area located along the top of Hammersby Ridge, near Quaker Lake owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy. Acquired in 1958 ...

. South of the station the trail crosses a

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

y area via a wooden, wheelchair accessible walkway which leads to a bridge and then climbs a smaller ridge.

Station layout

The station has a low-level wooden

side platform A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platforms ...

to the east of the track, long enough for one door of one car to receive and discharge passengers. The platform has no shelter, but has a bulletin board for posting the current train schedule, as well as information for hikers.

References

External links

{{Authority control Metro-North Railroad stations in New York (state) Appalachian Trail Pawling, New York Railway stations in Dutchess County, New York Railway stations in the United States opened in 1990 1990 establishments in New York (state) Transportation in Dutchess County, New York