receive new rail cars, and ship out old, retired equipment for scrapping by way of the Bay Ridge Branch. Traffic NYA moved 30,000 carloads in 2018, up from approximately 9,200 when it began operating in May 1997. The majority of its deliveries take place during the night, when fewer commuter trains are running. About 15 percent of freight cars transported by the NYA are floated across New York Harbor from Jersey City to NYNJ Rails's railyard in Bay Ridge on the Brooklyn waterfront. The barge operation is managed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, but the number of cars transferred to NYA by that method has been restricted by the use of only one aging barge that has a 14-car capacity. The Port Authority is adding two new barges, each with a capacity of 18 cars, and by 2023 the proposed cross-harbor tunnel is expected to transport 25,000 cars annually, up from 5,000 per year circa 2018. Crewing NYA has about 60 employees, including eight train crews. The railroad has substantially different crewing agreements than the Long Island Rail Road, allowing it more flexibility to match the needs of freight customers. NYA has two crewbases, one in Glendale, Queens and another near the former LIRR station Pine Aire on the main line, between Deer Park and Brentwood. On a typical weekday, NYA operates six crews. Equipment The NY&A operates thirteen locomotives. The roster, as of October 2017, includes the following: Incidents March 15, 2015 – 1 car of a NYAR train derailed while entering a siding at Wyandanch July 8, 2015 – A NYAR freight train smashed into a tractor trailer after the crossing gates were slow going down in Maspeth, Queens; the truck driver escaped with minor injuries September 15, 2015 – 2 cars of a 16-car NYAR freight train derailed, causing delays on the LIRR at Hicksville June 17, 2021 - NYAR Train RS41, consisting of Locomotives 300 and 271, was rear ended by Long Island Rail Road Inspection Car TC82 east of the Cold Spring Harbor station. Minor injuries were reported by crew members of both trains Gallery See also Rail freight transportation in New York City and Long Island Notes References External links New York and Atlantic Railway official site New York (state) railroads Companies affiliated with the Long Island Rail Road Rail freight transportation in New York City Railroads on Long