Wassaic Station is one of the two newest stations on Metro-North. It, and intermediate stop Tenmile River, south of it opened only on July 9, 2000, as part of a 6 mile, $6 million, 2 stop extension from Dover Plains that restored a portion of service of the original Harlem Line over tracks were service was discontinued in 1972. (Source). Train service on the Harlem Line originally extended an additional 34 miles north from Wassaic to Catham, New York in Columbia County which was discontinued at midday, on March 20, 1972, when an appellant court allowed the Penn Central Railroad to discontinue service, stranding passengers (and train crews) who had come into New York City for the day with no final afternoon ‘last run.’ (Source.) As of 2020, this 6 mile service extension is the only one Metro-North has opened since it began operations, taking over service from Conrail in 1982.
The station is the most northern point on Metro-North stretching 82 miles nearly due north of Grand Central, (Waterbury is the farthest point from Grand Central at 87 miles, but a lot of this is also farther east.) The ride from Grand Central during off-peak hours on a semi-local (runs non-stop from 125 Street to White Plains, local their after) to Southeast and transfer to a Scoot Shuttle train to Wassaic, takes about two hours and 10 minutes and requires a transfer at Southeast to the connecting diesel shuttle of 3 cars and a locomotive (normally a Brookville BL20GH), but each rush hour there are four direct trains from Grand Central, which are super expresses and make the ride up in just under two hours. There is one through train between Wassaic and Grand Central each day on Weekends.
The station itself is in the middle of nowhere in Dutchess County, designed as a park and ride station with the hamlet of Wassaic (and former stop location) three-quarters of a mile south of the new Wassaic Station. The station has a large parking lot with 318 spaces and a bike path which continues north along the rail right-of-way. There is also a small train yard just north of the station platform. Since I was there in the middle of a weekday. The station yard was empty since the 4 direct trains to New York which lay-up there overnight and on 3 of them on weekends are all down in New York, most likely in the Highbridge Yard waiting their return as direct trains to Wassaic this evening. The station platform is high level and can fit about four cars. There are two Daily TVMs on the platform and a small shelter.
All Photos: 10 August, 2005
Ten Mile River