The Staten Island Railway (SIR) is a railroad line in the New York City borough of Staten Island. It is owned by the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority (SIRTOA), a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and operated by the New York City Transit Authority Department of Subways. SIR operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, providing local service between St. George and Tottenville, along the east side of the island. There is currently only one line on the island, and there is no direct rail link between the SIR and the New York City Subway system, but SIR riders do receive a free transfer to New York City Transit bus and subway lines, and the line is included on official New York City Subway maps.[4] Commuters on the railway typically use the Staten Island Ferry to reach Manhattan. The line is accessible from within the Ferry Terminal, and most of its trains are timed to connect with the ferry. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 6,151,400, or about 18,400 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024.
The line has a route bullet similar to subway routes: the letters SIR in a blue circle. It is used on timetables, the MTA website, some signage,[a] and on R211S trains, but not on R44 trains. Like the New York City Subway, the line runs 24 hours a day every day of the year,[5] and is one of the few 24/7 mass-transit rail systems in the United States.[b] Fares are only collected at two stations, St. George and nearby Tompkinsville.
Although the railway was originally considered a standard rail line, the existing line is severed from the national rail system, and only a small portion of the former North Shore Branch still sees freight use. The passenger operations are now regulated as a rapid transit system, and exempt from certain regulations.[6] The line uses modified R44 and R211S subway cars, the latter of which will replace the R44s throughout 2024 and 2025.[7]
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Second Quarter 2024" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association. March 4, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024.
- ^ "The MTA Network". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on July 8, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
- ^ "Subway Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
- ^ "MTA Staten Island Railway General Information". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved October 8, 2015.
- ^ "No Positive Train Control for Staten Island Railway: Here's why". October 6, 2016. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
- ^ MTA News Conference – 6/29/2023, retrieved July 21, 2023
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