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The Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad was an important part of the Pennsylvania Railroad system, comprising the tunnels and approaches from New Jersey and Long Island to New York Penn Station. The Long Island side was used mainly by the Long Island Railroad, a PRR subsidiary. Many other railroads had trackage rights over one half or the other.
The PRR eventually merged the PT&T into itself, and later the PRR became part of Penn Central and then Conrail. Conrail sold the line to Amtrak, who uses it as part of their Northeast Corridor. New Jersey Transit and the Long Island Railroad use their respective halves to reach New York Penn Station.
Before the tunnel opened in 1910, PRR passengers had to transfer to the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad or a ferry to cross the Hudson River, and LIRR passengers had to take a subway line or ferry across the East River.
On the New Jersey side, the railroad merged with the main line of the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company, the PRR's main line through New Jersey, at Kearny Junction. On the Long Island side, the railroad ended at Sunnyside Yard, with connections to the Long Island Railroad and New York Connecting Railroad.
Originally, passengers between points south and New York transferred at Manhattan Transfer, since the line wasn't electrfied all the way to Philadelphia, but only electric trains could operate through the tunnels.
One branch of the line existed, the Harrison Branch, splitting west off the line just east of its west end, and running west to a connection with the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad's Harrison Cut-off and the Erie Railroad's Paterson and Newark Branch. This branch was used only for freight.
Trackage rights The following non-PRR railroads used the line:
History The company was formed on June 26, 1907 as a consolidation of the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York Railroad and the Pennsylvania, New York and Long Island Railroad, which were the New Jersey and New York parts, respectively. The PNJ&NY was incorporated February 13, 1902, and the PNY&LI was incorporated April 21, 1902.
The New Jersey side was opened on November 27, 1910, though it hadn't been completed yet. The Long Island side was opened several weeks earlier. It was always operated by the PRR.
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