LIRR: East River to Jamaica

We will begin our city journey at Long Island City station, which is a 2 car hi-level island platform with one stair and one wheelchair ramp alongside Borden Ave.  The platform is newly relocated, and is sandwiched in between yard tracks (they are Tracks #2 and #3).  The original low platform was against the old chain link fence on Track #1.  The station first opened on May 9^th, 1861 and has its platform and station house enlarged over the next 20 years.  A second station house was built in 1891 and was restored in 1903 from a fire the year before.  However, the station house was a victim to Robert Moses and his Queens Midtown Tunnel in 1938, as the tunnel portals actually run one block to the north of the station.  The Queens Midtown opened for passenger car service in 1940  The Montauk Branch contains 5 stations that were closed due to low usage in 1998.  These stations are; Penny Bridge, Haberman, Fresh Pond, Glendale and Richmond Hill.

 Leaving here trains have a choice of the Montauk branch or going on to Hunter's Point and the line from NY Penn Station

Hunter’s Point which is a single island platform with two tracks, just to the east of the Hunters Point Ave station on the #7 IRT subway line.  This is a part-time station that serves LIRR peak direction customers destined for the East side of Manhattan, via. the #7 line.  Two staircases on both sides of Hunterspoint Ave, have an overhead sign detailing the current PM departures at that station (The AM peak period is for inbound trains only as arrivals, and is technically closed).  The ticket office, built in 1914 and is the 3^rd depot for this station, is a small boxed structure on the platform that is only open on PM peak Fridays during the summer season, which runs from Memorial Day to Labor day weekends.  The station is closed all other times.  Although the station is two tracks, there are other tracks adjoining the south track, and plenty of other LIRR, AMTRAK, and NJ Transit trains can be seen entering the East River tunnels, as well as the #7 trains entering and leaving the Steinway tube portal.  The LIRR is currently building a two track (minimum) connection to Metro-North trains at Grand Central Terminal, with further proposed plans to extend the LIRR into lower Manhattan’s CBD.  Called the East Side Access project, this will allow for the first time in the LIRR’s 170 year old history, to route trains to Grand Central Terminal, and allowing Long Island and Eastern Queens commuters, a one seat ride to the East side of Manhattan.  If this happens, expect Hunters Point and Long Island City stations to join the abandoned stations list, since these stations will no longer be needed.  This station is also the starting point for the LIRR’s most successful train service, the Cannonball to the Hamptons and Montauk on Fridays year-round, with an additional train Thursdays and evenings before July 4^th.  For more information on the Cannonball, and the entire Montauk Branch, please see the Montauk branch Page.  Both Long Island City and Hunterspoint Ave stations are only in use during AM and PM peak rush periods; no service is available on weekends. 

Next up is Woodside which is a rail fans dream come true. Entrance is via a mezzanine shared with the subway but with separate fare control for the subway. The LIRR station is built into a hillside. From North to South tracks and platforms are as follows: Wall- Platform C for track 1, platform B (an island) for tracks 2 for Port Washington bound trains and 3: trains to NY from Port Washington. A bypass track and finally a wall platform, Track 4 serving trains to Jamaica.  You can see the IRT #7 trains stopping at the station above Woodside. 

Grand Street Abandoned station on what is probably the current Grand Ave.  This stop was used by both Main Line and Rockaway Branch trains.  The shelter shed existed for on 10 years from 1913 to 1922.  In 1925, the LIRR ceased operating trains to this station 

Rego Park Abandoned station that only served trains to the Rockaway branch. 

Consistent with the Rockaway branch abandonment, this station was closed in 1962. 

Matawok  From what I know, this is the shortest time frame on LIRR that any station existed (3 years and 1 month).  Just west of Forest Hills station, the station opened in 1922 and closed in 1925. 

Forest Hills follows and is on an embankment. The station was rebuilt in 1994 and has four tracks and two wall platforms. The station has nice Terra Cotta roofs.  The station is well maintained and the surrounding street area has old fashioned street lights. Both platforms have a station house and can only hold four cars.  The station house opened in 1911.  This station is a short two block walk to the INDForest Hills subway station. 

Next up is Kew Gardens which has a similar layout of four tracks and two wall platforms holding four cars. The station house is brick with cream and red trim.  Originally called Kew station in 1909, the named was changed to the current Kew Gardens station in 1914. 

Westbridge  Abandoned station, also know at High Bridge station, this was located at Jamaica Ave, the station house was at street level.  Although the station was closed in 1939, some current street maps still have the station listed as a freight only station to this day; quite to the contrary that freight is no longer used here.  This station was another railfan’s delight as Jamaica BMT el. trains can be seen overhead the main line tracks at the platform when the subway ran to 168^th Street and Jamaica Ave.   

Finally we arrive at Jamaica which is the hub of the LIRR system .The station has eight tracks. From North to South the layout is:

Island platform- Track 1 and track 2, island platform serving tracks 2 and 3, island platform  serving track 4 , and   5,  Island platform serving tracks 6 and 7, island platform serving tracks 7 and 8. The layout permits one to exit both sides of trains on track 7 and 2 to make connections. In most cases, Tracks 1-4 are for inbound trains, while Tracks 5-8 are for outbound trains.  The station has crossovers and crossunders and is being rebuilt to serve the JFK Airtrain, and has an indoor bridge to the Airtrain station from Track 8. A direct entrance to the subway is also planned.   

Long Island City connects to Jamaica via a line with abandoned stations, Penny Bridge, Haberman, Fresh Pond, Glendale, and Richmond Hill.  These 5 stations were abandoned in 1998 due to low usage, and are still referred to railfans and train history buffs as the Montauk branch.  The line runs independently from Long Island City to the interlockings before Jamaica, were it merges with the Penn Station and Flatbush tracks.  Some trains leaving Long Island City have an option, as dictated by the LIRR’s schedules; if a LIC train that makes a scheduled stop at Hunters Point, then it can only use the Main Line, and not the Montauk branch.  If the train does not stop at Hunters Point, then most likely it will use the Montauk branch, but main line is also possible.  Both HP and LIC trains do not stop at Woodside, Forest Hills, and Kew Gardens stations.  More detailed information on these 5 stations is coming soon.