In 1831, the first successful steam railroad running regularly scheduled service in the 11 miles between Albany and Schenectady (the Mohawk and Hudson Rail Road, later to become part of the mighty New York Central System).
The Mohawk & Hudson Railroad was the first railroad built in the state of New York and one of the first railroads in the United States. It was so-named because it linked the Mohawk River at Schenectady with the Hudson River at Albany. It was conceived as a means of allowing Erie Canal passengers to quickly bypass the circuitous Cohoes Falls via steam powered trains.
The railroad was incorporated on April 17, 1826, as the Mohawk & Hudson Company and opened for public service on August 9, 1831. On April 19, 1847, the company name was changed to the Albany & Schenectady Railroad. The railroad was consolidated into the New York Central Railroad on May 17, 1853.
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