Long Beach Branch

Last updated

Long Beach Branch
LIRR Train 853 leaves Lynbrook.jpg
Long Beach Branch train #853 departs Lynbrook en route to Penn Station
Overview
StatusOperational
Owner Long Island Rail Road Company [1]
Locale Nassau County, New York, USA
Termini
Stations10
Service
Type Commuter rail
System Long Island Rail Road
Services
Operator(s) Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Rolling stock Budd M3
Bombardier M7
Kawasaki M9
Ridership3,117,606 (annual ridership, 2023) [2]
History
Opened1880 (1880) (NY&LB) [3]
Technical
Line length8.8 mi (14.2 km)
Number of tracks1-2
CharacterAt-grade
Track gauge 4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification Third rail,  750 V DC
Route map
Long Beach Branch
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9.3 mi
15 km
Jamaica
AirTrain JFK notext logo.svg NYCS-bull-trans-E-Std.svg NYCS-bull-trans-J-Std.svg NYCS-bull-trans-Z-Std.svg
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12.2 mi
19.6 km
Locust Manor
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BSicon LSTR.svg
13.1 mi
21.1 km
Laurelton
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BSicon STR3.svg
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BSicon ABZg+1.svg
BSicon exABZ3+1g.svg
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14.0 mi
22.5 km
Rosedale
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BSicon ACC.svg
15.7 mi
25.3 km
Valley Stream
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15.8 mi
0.0 mi
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1.5 mi
2.4 km
Lynbrook
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Zone 4
Zone 7
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2.4 mi
3.9 km
Centre Avenue
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2.9 mi
4.7 km
East Rockaway
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Atlantic Avenue (closed)
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3.4 mi
5.5 km
Oceanside
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Simpsons Channel
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Jekyl Island (closed)
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5.9 mi
9.5 km
Island Park
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Wreck Lead (closed)
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Queenswater (closed)
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6.9 mi
11.1 km
Long Beach
Distances shown from Atlantic Terminal

The Long Beach Branch is an electrified rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch begins at Valley Interlocking, just east of Valley Stream station, where it merges with the Far Rockaway Branch to continue west as the Atlantic Branch. East from there the Long Beach Branch parallels the Montauk Branch to Lynbrook station, where it turns south toward Long Beach station. [4] [5] Trains operating on the Long Beach Branch continue west of Valley Stream via the Atlantic Branch to Jamaica station, with most continuing on to Grand Central or Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan. In 2018, the branch recorded an annual ridership of 4,849,085 based on ticket sales, down 1% from 2017. [2]

Contents

History

The station house at Long Beach, which opened in 1909 and was designed by Kenneth M. Murchison. Long Beach Station In Long Beach NY.jpg
The station house at Long Beach, which opened in 1909 and was designed by Kenneth M. Murchison.

Origins

The Long Beach Branch began as the New York and Long Beach Railroad (NY&LB) Company, operating from Lynbrook to Long Beach in 1880. [3] The railroad's original southern terminus was along the Atlantic Ocean. The LIRR, which had just recently been acquired by entrepreneur Austin Corbin, [6] operated the NY&LB from its inception until 1904, when it was merged with the other lines of the LIRR. At Lynbrook, trains continued west to Hunters Point, Queens, operating on tracks built by the South Side Railroad of Long Island (which had merged with the LIRR prior to the NY&LB service). [7] In 1909, Long Beach station was moved 1,000 feet (300 m) north from the oceanfront to Reynolds Channel, where it remains today. [8]

A five-mile (8 km) extension to Point Lookout, New York owned by the Long Beach Marine Railway Company existed between 1881 and 1895. The LIRR bought the line in 1886 and continued to operate passenger service until 1895. [3]

Pennsylvania Railroad ownership

The LIRR had planned to extend the Atlantic Branch north into Manhattan to meet the New York Central Railroad (NYCRR) at what is now Grand Central Terminal, while at the same time, NYCRR competitor Pennsylvania Railroad was planning to build a tunnel to a new Manhattan terminal from New Jersey. Following negotiations, the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) acquired a majority stake of the LIRR in 1900, [9] allowing the railroads to jointly build the New York Tunnel Extension and share a Manhattan terminal at Pennsylvania Station, which opened in 1910. Also in 1910, the Long Beach Branch was extended westward from Lynbrook to Valley Stream, further integrating it with the LIRR Atlantic Branch and the PRR's new Manhattan terminal. The line was double-tracked from Valley Stream to Lynbrook in late 1910, then from East Rockaway to Wreck Lead ("WL") on January 15, 1927. Electrification of the main tracks from Valley Stream to Long Beach was finished in September 1910, with the freight sidings being electrified between 1928 and 1930. This upgrade coincided with the PRR's electrification and grade separation of multiple suburban lines. Color light signals were installed in January 1927; they were later replaced by PRR-style position light signals.

MTA takeover

On January 20, 1965, the State of New York announced its intentions to purchase the LIRR from the PRR. The LIRR was to be operated by the newly-formed Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Authority, today's current MTA. The MTA began operating new M1 electric coaches in 1968, which resulted in the upgrading of every station on the line to high-level platforms.

The Long Beach Branch's familiar orange color scheme (    ) was first implemented on May 20, 1974 as part of the MTA's Form 8 timetable. [10]

Diesel-powered shuttle train at Long Beach in November 2012 Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)- IMG 4792 (8188030867).jpg
Diesel-powered shuttle train at Long Beach in November 2012

Hurricane Sandy and infrastructure modernization

Hurricane Sandy struck Long Island on October 29–30, 2012, and the Long Beach Branch was the most seriously affected of all the LIRR lines despite a full systemwide shutdown on October 29. Third rail power was lost, as three of the four substations on the line were knocked out. [11] The line between Island Park and Long Beach was strewn with debris, and switch motors at Long Beach station, along with other signal and communications components on the line, were rendered inoperative due to immersion in salt water. Bus service began between Lynbrook and Island Park on November 7. [12] Partial rail service was restored on November 14, when a diesel-operated shuttle began operating between Lynbrook and Long Beach on a modified weekday schedule. [13] Connecting electric service was available at Lynbrook and shuttle buses were operated on weekends and Thanksgiving in place of train service. Full electric service, initially not expected to return until January 2013, [14] was restored much earlier than anticipated, on November 25, 2012. [15]

The total cost of post-Sandy restoration projects on the branch is expected to cost $68.6 million and be completed by September 2021. [16] The projects also include the raising of the Oceanside, Oil City, and Long Beach substations 15 feet (4.6 m) off the ground and an emergency generator for the Wreck Lead Bridge over Reynolds Channel. [16] [17]

Positive train control, a federally-mandated technology to improve railroad safety, was implemented on the line on October 30, 2019. [18] [19]

Stations

ZoneStation Miles (km)
from Atlantic Terminal [20]
Date
opened
Date
closed
Connections / notes
For continuing service to Jamaica and points west, see Atlantic Branch
3 Locust Manor 12.2 (19.6)1869 BSicon BAHN.svg LIRR : Far Rockaway Branch
Laurelton 13.1 (21.1)1907 BSicon BAHN.svg LIRR : Far Rockaway Branch
Rosedale Wheelchair symbol.svg 14.0 (22.5)1870 BSicon BAHN.svg LIRR : Far Rockaway Branch
4 Valley Stream Wheelchair symbol.svg 15.7 (25.3)1869 BSicon BAHN.svg LIRR : Far Rockaway Branch
ZoneStation Miles (km)
from Valley Junction [20]
Date
opened
Date
closed
Connections / notes
4 Lynbrook Wheelchair symbol.svg 1.5 (2.4)1867 [21] BSicon BAHN.svg LIRR : Babylon Branch
Aiga bus trans.svg NICE Bus : n4, n25, n31, n32
Originally Pearsall's Corners, then Pearsall's
7 Centre Avenue Wheelchair symbol.svg 2.4 (3.9)1898Originally South Lynbrook
East Rockaway Wheelchair symbol.svg 2.9 (4.7)1880
Atlantic Avenue 18981951
Oceanside Wheelchair symbol.svg 3.4 (5.5)1897
Barnum Island Channel Bridge
Jekyl Island 19011922Originally named Barnum Island, then Island Park
Island Park Wheelchair symbol.svg 5.9 (9.5)1898Aiga bus trans.svg NICE Bus : n15
Originally The Dykes
Wreck Lead Bridge
Wreck Lead 18881927
Queenswater 18981936Originally Inner Beach, then Queenswater
Club House 18981909
Long Beach Wheelchair symbol.svg 6.9 (11.1)1880Aiga bus trans.svg NICE Bus : n15, n33
Aiga bus trans.svg Long Beach Bus : Point Lookout, East Loop, West End Route, Shoppers Special

Related Research Articles

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The Long Island Rail Road, often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County on Long Island. The railroad currently operates a public commuter rail service, with its freight operations contracted to the New York and Atlantic Railway. With an average weekday ridership of 354,800 passengers in 2016, it is the busiest commuter railroad in North America. It is also one of the world's few commuter systems that runs 24/7 year-round. It is publicly owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which refers to it as MTA Long Island Rail Road. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 75,186,900, or about 276,800 per weekday as of the first quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atlantic Branch</span> Long Island Rail Road branch

The Atlantic Branch is an electrified rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. It is the only LIRR line with revenue passenger service in the borough of Brooklyn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Far Rockaway Branch</span> Long Island Rail Road branch

The Far Rockaway Branch is an electrified rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch begins at Valley Interlocking, just east of Valley Stream station. From Valley Stream, the line heads south and southwest through southwestern Nassau County, ending at Far Rockaway in Queens, thus reentering New York City. LIRR maps and schedules indicate that the Far Rockaway Branch service continues west along the Atlantic Branch to Jamaica. This two-track branch provides all day service in both directions to Grand Central Madison and Penn Station, both in Midtown Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Washington Branch</span> Long Island Rail Road branch

The Port Washington Branch is an electrified, mostly double-tracked rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. It branches north from the Main Line at the former Winfield Junction station, just east of the Woodside station in the New York City borough of Queens, and runs roughly parallel to Northern Boulevard past Mets-Willets Point, Flushing, Murray Hill, Broadway, Auburndale, Bayside, Douglaston, Little Neck, and then crosses into Nassau County for stops in Great Neck, Manhasset, and Plandome before terminating at Port Washington.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valley Stream station</span> Long Island Rail Road station in Nassau County, New York

Valley Stream is a train station located on the Atlantic Branch of the Long Island Rail Road, in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, in Nassau County, New York.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Jefferson Branch</span> Long Island Rail Road branch

The Port Jefferson Branch is a rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch splits from the Main Line just east of Hicksville and runs northeast and east to Port Jefferson. Several stations on the Main Line west of Hicksville are served primarily by trains bound to/from the Port Jefferson branch, so LIRR maps and schedules for the public include that part of the Main Line in the "Port Jefferson Branch" service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beach 105th Street station</span> New York City Subway station in Queens

The Beach 105th Street station is a station on the IND Rockaway Line of the New York City Subway, located at Beach 105th Street on the Rockaway Freeway in Queens. It is served by the Rockaway Park Shuttle at all times and ten daily rush-hour only A trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City Terminal Zone</span> Collection of Long Island Rail Road branches

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oyster Bay Branch</span> Long Island Rail Road branch

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babylon Branch</span> Long Island Rail Road branch

The Babylon Branch is a rail service operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The term refers to the trains serving Montauk Branch stations from Valley Stream east to Babylon; in other words, the Babylon Branch is a rail service rather than an actual track. The electrification of the Montauk Branch ends east of the Babylon station, so the Babylon Branch is mostly served by electric trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montauk Branch</span> Long Island Rail Road branch

The Montauk Branch is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The line runs the length of Long Island, 115 miles (185 km) from Long Island City to Montauk. However, in LIRR maps and schedules for public use, the term Montauk Branch refers to the line east of Babylon; service from Jamaica to Babylon is covered by separate Babylon Branch schedules, while the line west of Jamaica is currently unused for passenger service. A select number of Montauk Branch trains operate via the Main Line during peak hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Hempstead Branch</span> Long Island Rail Road branch

The West Hempstead Branch is an electrified rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). It runs between Valley Stream and West Hempstead, in Nassau County, New York, United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hempstead Branch</span> Long Island Rail Road branch

The Hempstead Branch is an electrified rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch begins at the Main Line at Queens Interlocking, just east of Queens Village station. It parallels the Main Line past Bellerose to Floral Park, where it splits southward and continues east via the village of Garden City to Hempstead Crossing. There it turns south to the final two stations, Country Life Press and Hempstead.

The IND Rockaway Line is a rapid transit line of the IND Division of the New York City Subway, operating in Queens. It branches from the IND Fulton Street Line at Rockaway Boulevard, extending over the Jamaica Bay, into the Rockaways. At its southern end in the Rockaways, the line has two branches: one traveling east to Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue and one traveling west to Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street. The A train serves the line on the Far Rockaway branch, as well as on the section north of Hammels Wye. The Rockaway Park Shuttle runs between Broad Channel and Rockaway Park. Five rush hour A trains provide service between Rockaway Park and Manhattan in the peak direction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynbrook station</span> Long Island Rail Road station in Nassau County, New York

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay Ridge Branch</span> Freight rail line in New York City

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rockaway Beach Branch</span> Former Long Island Rail Road branch (closed 1962)

The Rockaway Beach Branch was a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in Queens, New York City, United States. The line left the Main Line at Whitepot Junction in Rego Park heading south via Ozone Park and across Jamaica Bay to Hammels in the Rockaways, turning west there to a terminal at Rockaway Park. Along the way it connected with the Montauk Branch near Glendale, the Atlantic Branch near Woodhaven, and the Far Rockaway Branch at Hammels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Long Beach station (LIRR)</span> Long Island Rail Road station in Nassau County, New York

The Long Beach station is an intermodal center and the terminus of the Long Beach Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. It is located at Park Place and Park Avenue in the City of Long Beach, New York, serving as the city's major transportation hub.

References

External videos
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg LIRR Time Lapse: Penn Station to Long Beach, MTA's LIRR; May 20, 2010; 2-minute YouTube video clip
Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg LIRR Time Lapse: Long Beach to Penn Station, MTA's LIRR; May 20, 2010; 2-minute YouTube video clip
  1. "February 2020 MTA Board Action Items". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. February 26, 2020. p. 39.
  2. 1 2 "2023 ANNUAL RIDERSHIP REPORT". mta.info. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 Felix Reifschneider, History of the Long Island Railroad, 1925, reprinted winter 2001 in The Third Rail
  4. "MTA Railroads Map". New York: Metropolitan Transportation Authority. March 16, 2023.
  5. "Long Beach Branch Timetable". New York: Metropolitan Transportation Authority. May 23, 2023.
  6. "LIRR Early History". lirrhistory.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2000. Retrieved May 1, 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  7. "Long Beach" . Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  8. "The Long Island Rail Road: A Comprehensive History Volume #5 (New York, Woodhaven & Rockaway Railroad; New York & Rockaway Beach railway; New York & Long Beach Railroad; New York & Rockaway railroad; Brooklyn rapid transit operation to Rockaway; Over L.I.R.R.)", by Vincent F. Seyfried
  9. "PENNSYLVANIA'S NEW PLANS OUTLINED; Big Improvements to be Made in Long Island's Acquisition. NO THOUGHT OF MONTAUK POINT Ferry Connection from Jersey City to Bay Ridge and Tunnels to Follow, an Official Says". The New York Times. May 8, 1900. Retrieved May 23, 2018.
  10. "LIRR Timetables". Trains Are Fun. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  11. "Major Long Beach Branch Restoration Project Begin". Metropolitan Transit Authority. April 12, 2014. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  12. "Hurricane Sandy Recovery Service As of November 7" (PDF). Long Island Rail Road. November 7, 2012.
  13. Krommydas, Niko (November 14, 2012). "Limited service on Long Beach LIRR branch". L.I. Herald. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  14. "LIRR Restores Limited Weekday Train Service on Long Beach Branch". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  15. "LIRR Restores Weekend & Weekday Electric Train Service on Long Beach Branch starting Nov. 25". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved November 25, 2012.
  16. 1 2 Castillo, Alfonso A. (October 30, 2018). "LIRR still years away from some Sandy repairs". Newsday . Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  17. "Sandy Substation Restoration / Long Beach Branch (Completed 01/2018)". Long Island Rail Road. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  18. "LIRR adds Positive Train Control on four branches". Fox 5 . October 30, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  19. "LIRR Commissions Positive Train Control on Four Branches" (Press release). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. October 30, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  20. 1 2
  21. Vincent F. Seyfried, The Long Island Rail Road: A Comprehensive History, Part One: South Side R.R. of L.I., 1961
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