East River Tunnels

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East River Tunnels
Carries	Amtrak Northeast Corridor and Long Island Rail Road
Crosses	East River
Locale	Manhattan, New York and Queens, New York
Maintained by	Amtrak
Opening date	1910

The East River Tunnels are 4 single-track railroad tunnels that extend from the eastern ends of 32/33 Streets in Manhattan to Queens. The tracks carry Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak trains travelling to and from Pennsylvania Station (New York City) and points to the north and east. They are part of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor; trains travelling between New York City and Boston, among other destinations, use the tunnels.

The tunnels were built in the first decade of the 20th century as part of the Pennsylvania Tunnel and Terminal Railroad, providing a connection between the Pennsylvania Railroad's Manhattan train station, Pennsylvania Station (New York City), and the railroad's Sunnyside Yard. At the time of construction, the Long Island Rail Road was a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the tunnels allowed the Long Island Rail Road its first (and to date only) direct access to Manhattan. The tunnels opened, along with Pennsylvania Station (New York City), in 1910. They are currently owned by Amtrak. They have both third rail and overhead lines (overhead catenary) electrification. Diesel-powered locomotives are banned from the tunnels under normal operation because of ventilation concerns.

Crossings of the East River
Upstream Queens Midtown Tunnel	East River Tunnels	Downstream 14th Street Tunnel