Pelham is a station in the namesake village in Westchester County, New York. The station itself is located in suburban sprawl and is largely unassuming. However, there’s something a little special here though…
So, the station itself is pretty bogstandard at face value. You have heated waiting areas outside, benches, wastebaskets, a tunnel to change sides, and a shuttered station house. Much like the rest of the New Haven Line, there’s also plenty of parking to go around. Unfortunately, though, it’s only partly accessible. Pelham itself is also pretty suburban, so sadly it doesn’t really stand out that much either. However, for railfanning, there IS something that stands out. So, Metro-North uses both third rail and overhead catenary for electrification on the New Haven Line. Where does the change-over happen? Well, it actually happens in the Pelham area. Or, rather, the change-over happens anywhere between Mt. Vernon (where the catenary begins) and the curve approaching New Rochelle (about as far as a train can coast without power).
The good: It’s a cool spot to railfan with Metro-North changing power sources here! Furthermore, it’s a decently sized park & ride station and there’s some shopping and restaurants nearby.
The bad: There isn’t as much as around the rest of the New Haven Line stations in New York. Yeah, sorry! It also isn’t fully accessible. 🙁
Nearby points of interest: There’s a 9/11 memorial nearby! Yeah, sorry, not a lot here.
Transit connections:
Metro-North (New Haven)
Bee-Line (53)
Overall, I just don’t have anything special to remark. Yeah, sorry. 🙁 But at least you can railfan a power change!
Rating: 6/10
