New York City Union Railway Company c 1894

The Union Railway Company of New York City (often shortened to Union Railway) was chartered in 1892, and consolidated several

streetcar A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport a ...

transit franchises across

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

and

The Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New ...

in New York City in the late 19th century. The Harlem Bridge, Morrisania and Fordham Railway (established in 1863) combined with the North Third Avenue and Fleetwood Park Railway and the Melrose and West Morrisania Railroad to form the nucleus of the Union Railway in 1892. All lines were electrified the same year. Union Railway was acquired by Third Avenue Railroad Company in 1898, which was later reorganized as the

Third Avenue Railway The Third Avenue Railway System (TARS), founded 1852, was a streetcar system serving the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx along with lower Westchester County. For a brief period of time, TARS also operated the Steinway Lines i ...

Bronx Traction Company

The Bronx Traction Company was formed in 1904 to consolidate the West Farms and Westchester Traction Company, the Wakefield and Westchester Traction Company, the Williamsbridge and Westchester Traction Company, the Van Nest, West Farms and Westchester Traction Company, and the Suburban Traction Company. Bronx Traction was leased to the Union Railway, which was in turn acquired by Third Avenue Railway.Ballard, C: "Metropolitan New York's Third Avenue Railway System", Arcadia Publishing, 2005

Southern Boulevard Railroad

Chartered in 1885, the Southern Boulevard Railroad came under the control of the Union Railway, and subsequently operated by Third Avenue Railway after 1898. No rolling stock was assigned to this line, with all equipment and employees provided by the Union Railway.

Westchester County

Formed in 1898 to take over the old New York, Elmsford and White Plains Railway, the Tarrytown, White Plains and Mamaroneck Railway connected its namesake cities in suburban

Westchester County Westchester County is located in the U.S. state of New York. It is the seventh most populous county in the State of New York and the most populous north of New York City. According to the 2020 United States Census, the county had a population ...

. Acquired by the Union Railway, it was sold to

in 1900.

References

{{NYC streetcar transit Streetcars in New York (state) Streetcar lines in the Bronx Third Avenue Railway Defunct New York (state) railroads