The station originally opened on December 30, 1878, as part of the extension of the Third Avenue Line north of
67th Street. The station was originally a two-track island platform terminal located above Third Avenue. It served as the original terminal for the line, On November 25, 1886, the station gained a connection to the
Willis Avenue Spur which took commuters to a terminal station in the Bronx that served commuters using the
New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and later to the
New York, Westchester and Boston Railway interurban lines. This added a second platform oriented west-to-east for Willis Avenue trains, which was connected to the Third Avenue El platform. All service via the Willis Avenue Spur ended on April 14, 1924, when a pedestrian bridge was opened between the Willis Avenue and
133rd Street stations. The opening of the lines of the
New York City Subway, particularly the
IRT Lexington Avenue Line, in the early 20th century led to declining ridership on the elevated lines. The 129th Street station in particular had low ridership, due to its proximity to the busy
125th Street station. It was also criticized for its uninspired design compared to the other stations on the lines. With reduced service and low ridership, the 129th Street station was closed prematurely on July 1, 1950. Passengers were redirected to the 125th Street station, while express trains between Manhattan and the Bronx bypassed the station. The site became part of Harlem River Park. ==References==