The West End Line or New Utrecht Avenue Line was a surface transit line in Brooklyn, New York City, United States, running along New Utrecht Avenue and other streets between Coney Island and Sunset Park. Built by the Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Railroad as a steam line, it became a trolley line, along which elevated trains ran until the new elevated BMT West End Line opened. This route is no longer part of any bus line; its southern part (south of Bath Beach) was part of a bus route (the B64, which replaced the 86th Street Line trolleys, until 2010). In 2013, the B64 route to Coney Island was restored.

History Steam railroad (1863–1893) The Brooklyn, Bath and Coney Island Railroad, incorporated in 1862 with Charles Godfrey Gunther as president, opened the first part of its line, from 25th Street and Fifth Avenue to Bath Beach mainly along New Utrecht Avenue (then the Bath Plank Road), on October 9, 1863. The extension to Coney Island was opened on June 9, 1864, making it the first steam railroad to bring beachgoers from downtown Brooklyn. (The Coney Island and Brooklyn Railroad had been operating horse cars to the island since 1862.) At the Brooklyn end, the steam line ended at 36th Street and Fifth Avenue, where the BB&CI's own horse cars ran to a connection with those of the Brooklyn Central and Jamaica Railroad's Fifth Avenue Line and the Brooklyn City Railroad's Greenwood Line at 25th Street and Fifth Avenue. The odd double transfer was made necessary by the City of Brooklyn's refusal to allow the line to operate steam cars within its city limits.

The road took its common name from the area of its terminal on Coney Island, where a hotel of the same name, but unconnected to the railroad, existed. Its terminal was known as West End Terminal, a name which survived upon major rebuilding in 1919 as New West End Terminal before that name fell into disuse.

The road was reorganized in 1868, on January 22, 1879, and again on December 1, 1885, the latter time changing its name to the Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad, formalizing the use of West End in the line's name. Before that time, the original steam dummy cars, which consisted of a locomotive and passenger car in one railroad-coach-type frame, were replaced by conventional steam locomotives pulling unpowered coaches.

Trolley line (1893–1947)

The Atlantic Avenue Railroad gained control of the West End in January 1893, leased it on May 8, 1893, and began to electrify it immediately without the permission of the town of New Utrecht. Effective May 21, 1893, the Atlantic Avenue extended its Fifth Avenue Line (which was electrified March 14, 1893) along the West End's trackage to the Union Depot at 36th Street, where West End trains were subsequently terminated. Electric trolleys began running on the West End Line from the Union Depot to Coney Island on November 18, 1893, and soon from the 39th Street Ferry. The Nassau Electric Railroad leased the Atlantic Avenue, and thus the West End, at midnight at the end of April 4, 1896, implementing its universal five-cent fare between Downtown Brooklyn and Coney Island. In late May the 86th Street Line was placed in operation, using the West End trackage from Bath Beach to Coney Island. Some West End cars were extended over the Brooklyn Bridge to Park Row in Lower Manhattan on February 15, 1898. The Brooklyn, Bath and West End Railroad and Atlantic Avenue Railroad were consolidated into the Nassau Electric Railroad in July 1898.

The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) gained control of the Nassau Electric in November 1898 and leased it (and the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad, operator of the Fifth Avenue Elevated, among other lines) to the Brooklyn Heights Railroad on April 1, 1899.McGraw Electric Railway Manual: The Red Book of American Street Railways Investments, 1908, pages 202-210 On June 4, 1899, a new switch at Bath Junction was placed in service, and the Park Row-Coney Island cars were rerouted via the Sea Beach Line; West End cars from Downtown Brooklyn continued to use the West End Line through Bath Beach.

BRT control paved the way for the line to be connected to the elevated system, and, on December 19, 1900, trolleys between 36th Street and Bath Beach were replaced with elevated trains from Park Row in Lower Manhattan; the line beyond Bath Beach to Coney Island was part of the 86th Street Line. Trains operated by third rail power over the Fifth Avenue Elevated to a ramp at 37th Street, and, from that point, trains raised trolley poles to operate using overhead wire to Bath Beach. A new bridge over Coney Island Creek was built to allow heavy elevated trains to run to Coney Island, and this service, from Park Row to Coney Island, began on July 13, 1902, for ten cents.

The Nassau Electric Railroad lease to the Brooklyn Heights Railroad was canceled on June 30, 1904, and dual operation began, where the Brooklyn Heights (later the Brooklyn Union Elevated Railroad and New York Consolidated Railroad) operated the trains to 38th Street, and the surface operation beyond to Coney Island was done by the Nassau Electric.Reports of Decisions of the Public Service Commission, First District of the State of New York, 1922: "The Bay Ridge and Sea Beach trains were operated to their respective destinations by the New York Consolidated Railroad Company, but the West End trains were operated by that company only as far south as 38th street. From that point south, they were operated by The Nassau Electric Railroad Company."

Elevated operations on the surface ended on June 24, 1916, when the new elevated West End Line, connecting into the Fourth Avenue Subway, opened to 18th Avenue. The line was built as part of Contract 4 of the Dual Contracts, but at the BRT's own expense.James Blaine Walker, Fifty Years of Rapid Transit, 1864-1917, 1918, pages 254 to 255 Trolleys continued to operate on the portion south of the Church Avenue Line (39th Street) until June 28, 1947.

Stations NeighborhoodStationTypeOpenedTransfers and notesSunset ParkUnion Depotlocal/expressJune 1862Originally at 5th Avenue and 26th Street, moved to 5th Avenue and 36th Street on 1890 , inferred, due to construction of BER Fifth Avenue Line to 25th Street. Converted to trolley, 191639th Streetlocalcirca. 1887Converted to trolley, 1916Borough Park43rd Streetlocalcirca. 1887Also known as West Brooklyn (43rd Street). Converted to trolley, 191649th Streetlocal1903Converted to trolley, 191653rd Streetlocalmid-1890sAlso known as Blythebourne. Converted to trolley, 191658th Streetlocal1903Converted to trolley, 1916BensonhurstBath Junctionlocal/expresscirca. 1890Also known as Lefferts Park Junction. Converted to trolley, 1916. Transfer available to the Sea Beach Line69th Streetlocalcirca. 1867Also known as Weir's Hill (pre-circa. 1877), Weir, (post-circa. 1877), Lefferts Park, and Homewood. Converted to trolley, 191674th Streetlocal/express1903Converted to trolley, 191679th Streetlocal1903Converted to trolley, 1916Gravesend/Bath Beach84th Streetlocalcirca. 1890Also known as Van Pelt Manor and 86th Street. Converted to trolley, 1916Bath Beach Junctionlocal/expressJune 1862Converted to trolley, 191620th Avenuelocal1903Also known as Bay 25th Street. Converted to trolley, 1916Bensonhurstlocalcirca. 1890Located between 21st Avenue and Bay 28th Street on Bath Avenue. Closed 1903. Converted to trolley, 191622nd Avenuelocal1903Converted to trolley, 1916Ulmer Parklocal1903Also known as 23rd Avenue. Converted to trolley, 1916Bay 35th Streetlocal/expresscirca. 1887Also known as Ulmer Park and Unionville. Converted to trolley, 1916. Mini-siding; demolished between 1920 and 1930Tracks split to Unionville DepotConey IslandBay 50th Streetlocal1903Converted to trolley, 1916Bridgelocalcirca. 1890Also known as Fishing until circa. 1900. Closed 1903. Located at the B.B.&C.I. ROW and Coney Island Creek.Possibly also known as Hubbard Creek as no mention of a station on "Hubbard's Creek" on the BMT Sea Beach Line can be found, with its close proximity to Gravesend station on the NY&SB to where its location would be at slightly to the left of 147 Avenue X. Coney Island - Stilwell Avenuelocal/expressOriginally West End Depot. Transfer available to Culver, Sea Beach, Brighton Beach, Norton's Point and Sea Gate Lines

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