How You Know It’s Not The Subway. Metropolitan Transportation Authority - MTA Staten Island Railway is a 21 station, 14 mile line that is presently the only operating passenger rail in Richmond County and is not a subway. Its first section opened in 1860, financed by Cornelius Vanderbilt of New York Central fame. But the line is better known the period from 1880-1971 when it was operated by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. In 1971, the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority assumed control of the line on behalf of the Metropolitan Transit Authority. The R-44S/ME-2s arrived shortly thereafter and have been the mainstay of the fleet since that time (later supplemented by an additional 12 R-44s from MTA NYCT Subway). On Monday, April 11, 2022, St. Louis Car Company built R-44S/ME-2 458 leads a 4-car train as it passes Brookville built B20G BMEX 778 at the Tompkinsville, Staten Island, New York Station. The height difference between the two is substantial as an R-44S measures approximately 12 feet and is the size of the largest car that runs in the New York City Subway, while the BL20G is just over 15 feet. The small fleet of 4 Brookville BL20Gs are used for non-revenue purposes and are the first diesels that were built new for the MTA Staten Island Railway.
