Although the New York & Harlem Railroad traversed the Pawling community as early as the late 1840s, the town did not receive a dedicated passenger station until the construction of one by the New York Central & Hudson River Railroad in 1881.[6] Despite the establishment of a nearby "Wood station" in 1860, the Pawling station became a focal point for the town's development and continued to serve passengers following the village's incorporation in 1893.[dubious – discuss] The station was one of the stops on the Harlem Line for trains such as the Berkshire Hills Express, offering limited-stop service between New York City and destinations in the Berkshires region, including Pittsfield and North Adams, Massachusetts.[7][8] In 1950, these direct trains were replaced by shuttle transfers.[9]
As with the rest of the Harlem Division, the Pawling station was incorporated into the Penn Central Railroad (PC), following the 1968 merger of the New York Central and Pennsylvania railroads. PC's ongoing financial difficulties throughout the 1970s led to the transfer of its commuter services to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), which continued operations through the formation of Conrail in 1976. The station's ticket office ceased operations on March 11, 1977.[3] Additionally, the station depot was destroyed by fire on November 30, 1984.[4] Presently, the former station serves as the headquarters for the local chamber of commerce.[10]
Station layout
The station consists of a four-car-long high-level side platform to the east of the track.[11]: 15
^ abMETRO-NORTH 2018 WEEKDAY STATION BOARDINGS. Market Analysis/Fare Policy Group:OPERATIONS PLANNING AND ANALYSIS DEPARTMENT:Metro-North Railroad. April 2019. p. 6.
^Grogan, Louis V. (1989). The Coming of the New York and Harlem Railroad. Self-Published. p. 177. ISBN0-962120-65-0.
^"New York Central Railroad, Tables 6, 98". Official Guide of the Railways. 64 (9). National Railway Publication Company. February 1932.
^"New York Central Railroad, Tables 11, 90". Official Guide of the Railways. 71 (3). National Railway Publication Company. August 1938.