Mount Vernon East is the first stop on the New Haven Line after it leaves the Harlem Line between the Woodlawn and Wakefiled Stations. The station is named to differentiate it from the Mount Vernon West Station on the Harlem line, approximately a mile away. The stop is first stop Connecticut-bound, last stop Grand Central-bound where passengers can get and off all trains. From agreements lasting back to the days of the New Haven Railroad having trackage rights into Grand Central over the New York Central Railroad, intermediate travel is prohibited on New Haven Line trains between Fordham, 125th Street and Grand Central. The station is also the last stop where New Haven Line trains operate via third rail; the stop was under catenary until the early 1990s, when the changeover point was moved from Woodlawn to just west of Pelham. The remains of the catenary towers remain along each platform. Signs on nearby road bridges inaccurately say "Danger Live Wires" an example of one sign is on the Park Avenue bridge across the tracks, just west of the station.
The station consists of two side platforms along the four-track line, located in an open cut below street level. The main station entrance is in a small brick station house with a ticket office open for one weekday morning shift. This ticket office is in a small brick building at the end of the station's pedestrian bridge. There is direct access down a few steps to Elm Avenue. The stations' enclosed with glass windows pedestrian bridge leads across the tracks to an elevator and staircase down to the Connecticut-bound platform. The staircase and elevator to the Grand Central-bound platform, directly below the ticket office, stop at an intermediate landing to an enclosed area that leads out to Elm Avenue and a canopied covered bus stop and passenger pick-up/drop-off area. This is where the station's taxi stand is. There is a wind screen behind this parking line that has stained glass, part of Tranquility, 2001 by Marjorie Blackwell.
The Grand Central-bound platform has no further access except for an exit at the eastern end of the platform. The platform runs along steeply wooded slop. This exit is via path that leads upwards through these to reach the bridge over the railroad line of Fulton Avenue. Another staircase from Fulton Avenue leads down to large parking lot along the Connecticut-bound side of the station. This parking lot is at track level with multiple entrances along parallel 1st Street.
For canopies both platforms are canopied for about a third of their lengths beginning at their western ends, where the station's main bridge between the platforms is. The Grand Central-bound platform has an additional enclosed shelter with a short canopy extending from it, near its eastern end, by the entrance from the Fulton Avenue path.
Photos 1-10: 5 December, 2004; 11-27: 10 June, 2009; 28 & 29: 13 January, 2012
Woodlawn 
