NYC Port Morris Branch / 'The Bronx Swamp' (Abandoned) (New York City, New York)

 swamp, abandoned / shut down, rail-trail, invisible, rubbish / refuse / garbage dump, railway tunnel

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This was the New York Central Railroad's Port Morris branch. It was an electrified (via under-running third rail) double-track freight-only branch that ran from what is now the Metro North Harlem Line at Mott Haven Junction (near the current Melrose station) to its Port Morris freight terminal on the East River. The line was below-grade, running through a series of cuts and tunnels.

The line was plagued by drainage issues, rampant garbage dumping requiring year-round snowplows on locomotives, as well as vertical and lateral clearance issues through the tunnels and tight curves along the route. The clearance issues prevented the use of longer double-stack cars, a boon to the freight rail industry.

Eventually, CSX built an new alternative alignment from its Oak Point yard to the Metro North Hudson Line to completely replace the Port Morris branch; this is known as the Oak Point Link. The line was formally abandoned by CSX in 2004 and the tracks were removed shortly after.

Over the years, the empty right-of-way began to fill up with garbage and stagnant water, eventually being referred to by its current nickname, 'The Bronx Swamp.'

Conditions deteriorated to the point where it became a public health hazard, so the city spent $375000 to clean up the right-of-way, pumping out 675000 gallons of stagnant water and removing tons of garbage. However, only about 40% of the line was actually cleaned up.