The Tottenville station is a

Staten Island Railway The Staten Island Railway (SIR) is a rapid transit line in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Staten Island. It is owned by the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority (SIRTOA), a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Trans ...

rapid transit station in the neighborhood of Tottenville,

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. Located near Main Street and

Arthur Kill Road Arthur Kill Road is a major northeast-southwest artery along the South- West Shore of the New York City borough of Staten Island. It is long, and runs through the neighborhoods of Tottenville, Richmond Valley, Charleston, Rossville, Woodrow ...

, it is the southern terminus on the main line and the southernmost railway station in both New York City and New York State.

History

The station opened on June 2, 1860, with the opening of the Staten Island Railway from Annadale to Tottenville. Eight shipyards were located at this location in the 1880s. From the year 1860 to 1885, the locomotives of the Staten Island Railway were maintained and repaired at Journea's Shipyard and at Tyrell's Machine shop. A

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

was operated by the Staten Island Railway from 1867 until 1948 that ran across the

Arthur Kill The Arthur Kill (sometimes referred to as the Staten Island Sound) is a tidal strait between Staten Island (also known as Richmond County), New York and Union and Middlesex counties, New Jersey. It is a major navigational channel of the Port of ...

to the

Perth Amboy Ferry Slip The Perth Amboy Ferry Slip, located on the Arthur Kill in Perth Amboy, Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States, was once a vital ferry slip for boats in New York Harbor. It was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and Nationa ...

Perth Amboy, New Jersey Perth Amboy is a city (New Jersey), city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, New Jersey. Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 55,4 ...

. The ferry service dated back to the 1700s and ended on October 17, 1963. There are remains of the old slip to the ferry near the end of Bentley Street, which is now a dead-end street blocked by a

Jersey barrier A Jersey barrier, Jersey wall, or Jersey bump is a modular concrete or plastic barrier employed to separate lanes of traffic. It is designed to minimize vehicle damage in cases of incidental contact while still preventing vehicle crossovers resu ...

. The station was destroyed on September 3, 1929 after a fire burned the station down. The fire was attributed to the third rail short circuiting. The two -long platforms were destroyed as were five train cars being stored near the station. The damage was estimated to cost $200,000. Passengers using the Perth Amboy Ferry were forced to use the nearby

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

station instead.

Derailments

On December 26, 2008 at 6:27 a.m., an empty train was pulling into this station to accept passengers for its a.m. rush hour run to St. George when it ran into the bumper block and subsequently derailed. An investigation revealed that the engineer, Kim Canady, fell asleep at the helm, having stayed up late the night before to celebrate Christmas with her family. On May 29, 2014 at 6:36 a.m., another empty train hit the same bumper block in the station, and the train's engineer and conductor were injured.

Station layout

This is a grade-level station with two tracks and an

island platform An island platform (also center platform, centre platform) is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange. Island platforms are popular on ...

. There are three tracks to the east of the platform for storing trains. All five tracks end at bumper blocks at their south ends. The station color is orange. During rush hours, this station is served only by express trains from

St. George Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...

. Local trains from St. George terminate at

Great Kills Great Kills is a neighborhood within the borough of Staten Island in New York City. It is located on the island's South Shore, and according to many local geographers, it is the South Shore's northernmost community. It is bordered by Richmondtow ...

Exits

View of entrance to Tottenville as the sun is about to set

The south end is

ADA-accessible The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ...

via a ramp to Bentley Street and a tiny parking area. The 1930s

head house A head house or headhouse may be an enclosed building attached to an open-sided shed, or the aboveground part of a subway station. Markets In the 18th and early 19th centuries, head houses were often civic buildings such as town halls or courth ...

is used by SIRTOA employees only. The roadway leads to the end of Arthur Kill Road. The north end is accessible via passageway and overpass, south to Main Street, and north to Ellis Street.

References

External links

Staten Island Railway station list

Bentley Street entrance from Google Maps Street View

Main Street entrance from Google Maps Street View

Platform from Google Maps Street View
{{Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority Staten Island Railway stations Railway stations in the United States opened in 1860 1860 establishments in New York (state) Tottenville, Staten Island