Main Line (Long Island Rail Road)

Early history

The Main Line opened beyond Jamaica to Hicksville on March 1, 1837; shortly afterwards, the Panic of 1837 severely curtailed construction.^[2] Construction on the line to Greenport resumed in 1840. It was extended to Farmingdale on October 15, 1841,^[3] Deer Park on March 14, 1842, Brentwood on June 24, 1842, Central Islip on July 14, 1842^[4] and Yaphank on June 26, 1844. An opening excursion to Greenport was operated on July 27, 1844, and revenue service began over the full line on July 29.^[5]

The city of Brooklyn banned the LIRR from using steam propulsion within city limits effective July 1, 1851.^[6] The railroad refused to comply^[7] until early October, when they stopped freight^[8] and passenger trains at Jamaica, directing passengers to take Fulton Street stages to Bedford and transfer there to "Jamaica Line" stages.^[9] Laws passed on April 19, 1859 allowed for the appointment of commissioners, empowered to contract with the LIRR to close the Cobble Hill Tunnel, cease using steam within city limits, and instead run horse cars for freight and passengers to the city line or East New York, connecting with steam trains to and beyond Jamaica there. By the fall of 1861, both use of steam as propulsion and of the tunnel had ceased.^[10]

In order to maintain access to New York, the LIRR chartered the New York and Jamaica Railroad (NY&J) on September 3, 1859,^[11] and a supplement to the LIRR's charter passed March 12, 1860 authorized it to buy the NY&J and build a new main line from Jamaica to Hunters Point. The LIRR carried through with the NY&J purchase on April 25, along with the purchase of a short piece of the Brooklyn and Jamaica at Jamaica.^[12] The new line to Hunters Point was officially opened on May 9, 1861, with regular service starting May 10, using a portion of the tracks of the Flushing Railroad between Winfield and Hunters Point.^[13]

The line was double-tracked to Hicksville in 1890.^[14]:11

The line was electrified from to Queens Village and Belmont Park on October 2, 1905. On May 26, 1908, the line was electrified to Floral Park; Hempstead Branch stations southeast of Floral Park were electrified on the same date. The line was triple-tracked between Bellerose and Floral Park in 1908.^[15]:18–19 On September 8, 1910, the line between Long Island City and Jamaica was electrified, and service to Pennsylvania Station was inaugurated. Initially, service consisted of 101 trains in each direction to the Hempstead, Far Rockaway and Long Beach branches.^[16]:17

Stations along the Main Line east of Floral Park to Mineola were electrified by October 1926. The Oyster Bay Branch, which left the main line at Mineola, was partially electrified in June 1934 north to East Williston station.^[17]:40

Electrification and grade-crossing eliminations

On September 12, 1964, a grade-crossing elimination project at Hicksville was completed, with the new station being located on an elevated structure. The $15 million project eliminated seven grade-crossings, provided 556 spaces, and rebuilt the Hicksville station as a three-track station with two 1,235 foot (376 m)-long island platforms.^[18] The parking spaces were built along the old at-grade right-of-way.^[14]:28 A grade crossing at Charlotte Avenue to the west of the station was removed in 1969.^[19]

The LIRR was acquired by New York State in 1965 and was put under the control of the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Authority (MCTA). It authorized engineering studies for the extension of electrified service along the Main Line from Mineola to Hicksville, then along the Port Jefferson Branch to Huntington. On June 13, 1967 the LIRR received a $22,697,500 federal grant from the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) for the project. The total cost was estimated at $45 million.^[19] Construction on the project began in 1968.^[20] On October 19, 1970, the LIRR's $69 million electrification project from Mineola to Huntington was completed. The project was funded through grants from the UMTA and a New York State Transportation bond issue. 16 miles (26 km) of track were electrified as part of the project. Diesel service on this section was replaced with electric service running directly to Penn Station, eliminating the need to change at Jamaica, and saving passengers an average of 15 minutes. This was the LIRR's first new electrification project since 1925.^[21]

In 1983, the LIRR recommended electrifying and double-tracking sections of the Main Line from Farmingdale to Ronkonkoma. As part of the project, four stations would be eliminated (Grumman, Republic, Pine Aire and Deer Park), eight stations would receive high-level platforms (Bethpage, Farmingdale, Pinelawn, Wyandanch, a new Deer Park stop, Brentwood, Central Islip and Ronkonkoma). The platforms at Farmingdale and Bethpage were replaced as part of a separate program. In addition, the line would receive new signaling, additional passing sidings, and a new yard at Ronkonkoma. Double-track would be installed between Deer Park and Brentwood.^[22]:6 Initially, a full second track was going to be built between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma. However, due to funding issues, only passing sidings, and double tracking at some stations was completed. In addition, bridges, substations and most platforms were built to accommodate a second track.^[23]:60

On June 17, 1985 work began on a project to extend electrification from Hicksville to Ronkonkoma.^[24] New stations were built at Wyandanch, Deer Park, Brentwood and Central Islip with high-level platforms. On April 30, 1987 electric service was extended by 3 miles (4.8 km) to Bethpage.^[25] Electric service was extended to Farmingdale on June 22, 1987.^[26] Limited electric service to Ronkonkoma began on December 28, 1987, with full electric service was completed on January 18, 1988. The entire project cost $168 million and electrified 23.5 miles (37.8 km) of track.^[27][28][29] $49,875,000 of the cost was funded by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration.^[22]:RA-37 Some of the funding for the project was originally allocated for the construction of a yard in Northport on the Port Jefferson Branch, which would have been part of that branch's electrification project. The electrification of the Port Jefferson Branch became a lesser priority, since the Ronkonkoma Branch runs straight through the center of Long Island through less developed areas, and thus, there was more space to build large park-and-ride facilities along the Ronkonkoma Branch than along the Port Jefferson Branch.^[30] Electric service reduced travel time by an average of 26 minutes, and allowed for direct service to Penn Station, eliminating transfers at Hicksville or Jamaica. It was expected that ridership at the stations now in electrified territory would be increased by 4,000 in 1988, attracting ridership from other diesel branches.^[27] While the anticipated growth in ridership was expected to take place gradually, it took place within the first month of service.^[31] By the 1990s, there was also an increased number of reverse commuters on the LIRR, and further improvements to the Main Line were needed, including the extension of electrification from Ronkonkoma to Yaphank and the installation of a third track from Bellerose to Hicksville.^[32]

On April 28, 1998, a bridge over Herricks Road opened, replacing a grade crossing which was once "labeled the most hazardous in the United States by the National Transportation Safety Board." The grade-crossing elimination project was initiated after an incident on March 14, 1982, when a van with ten teenagers got struck at the rail crossing with the crossing gates down, killing nine of them. The project took five years and cost $85 million. Work continued for a year to widen the overpass to allow for a future third track.^[33]

Second track between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma

Groundbreaking for Phase 1

In 2012, the MTA approved a project to build a second track between Ronkonkoma and Farmingdale. At the time, the only areas east of Farmingdale with two tracks were the segment between Deer Park and Brentwood stations, inclusive; at Central Islip station; and at Ronkonkoma station. Construction of the double track occurred on land that the LIRR has owned since the 1980s, when the land was acquired for the electrification project. The double track project also included upgrades to switches, grade crossings, and station facilities.^[34] This project increased operational flexibilty by allowing reverse-peak service between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma and by increasing off-peak service between Hicksville and Ronkonkoma, with service operating half-hourly instead of just hourly. This additional capacity allows the Main Line to better serve as a substitute for South Shore lines in case of a disturbance caused by extreme weather.^[34] With the use of the New Track Construction (NTC) method, rail was laid down ten times faster than regular track laying methods, saving $7 million, and allowing the project to be completed 16 months ahead of schedule.^[35]

Work on the two-phase project began in August 2015. As part of Phase 1, the section from Ronkonkoma to Central Islip, consisting of 4 miles (6.4 km) of track, was built to the north of the existing track. This section was laid using a NTC machine, followed by the installation of third rail. The southern track at Central Islip was extended to Brentwood to the south of the existing track.^[36][37] Phase 1 was completed in August 2016.^[35] As part of Phase 2, a second track was added between Deer Park, through Wyandanch, and past Pinelawn to the east end of FARM interlocking at Republic to the south of the existing track. A design–build contract for this phase was awarded in June 2016.^[38] This phase also involved rehabilitating grade crossings, demolishing pedestrian bridges, and building a second platform Wyandanch. Starting in August 2016, to accommodate the second track, supports were pile-driven into the existing embankment near the old site of the Deer Park station, brush was, and embankment was added between Pinelawn and the grade crossing at Little East Neck Road.^[39]:92[40] The last five miles of track were added in January 2018,^[41] and the LIRR began connecting the new second track to the existing double-track segments in spring 2018.^[42][43]

The entire project cost $387.2 million and was completed in September 2018,^[44] over a year ahead of schedule.^[45] As indicated in the MTA's 2015–2034 Capital Needs Assessment,the MTA will extend the double-track to Yaphank if funding is available. This will allow the LIRR to provide additional service in diesel territory, thereby saving travel time.^[23]:64–65

Mid-Suffolk Yard

In 2015, the MTA conducted environmental studies to expand the existing rail yard in Ronkonkoma. This expansion, called the Mid-Suffolk Yard, will add 11 new tracks, increasing the number of total tracks from 12 at present to 23.^[46] The expansion will use space already owned by the MTA located immediately to the south of the existing rail yard and north of MacArthur Airport. The increase in storage space will allow the MTA to increase peak-hour service once East Side Access is complete and service to Grand Central begins. The project is budgeted for $76.6 million.^[47] Locations in Deer Park, Central Islip, and Yaphank were also considered for the construction of the yard. The Deer Park option was dismissed as it would have impacted several grade crossings, duplicated employee facilities and as it would not have benefited riders east of the station. The Central Islip site was dismissed as it would have been located in Connetquot River State Park. The Yaphank option was rejected because of the high cost of electrification and the requirement that station between Ronkonkoma and Yaphank receive upgrades.^[48] Construction was expected to be finished by late 2018,^[47] but as of June 2017 construction will start in September 2017, with completion being pushed back to March 2020.^[49]

Possible reopening of Republic station

The MTA plans to reopen Republic station, which is located between Farmingdale and Pinelawn. The station closed in 1987 as part of the electrification project between Hicksville and Ronkonkoma, and was only used by a dozen daily riders daily, not making it cost-effective to upgrade the station to support electric railcars. However, within the last decade, there has been an increased amount of commercial and residential development along the Route 110 corridor near the station, a major north-south commercial route.^[50] The reopened station would serve this corridor. Funding for the station was deferred from the MTA's 2010-2014 budget due to budgetary issues, but was revived in 2012.^[51][52] The MTA budgeted $5 million in 2015 to design a new station and carry out environmental studies, although construction itself has not been funded yet. The rebuilt station will have two new 12-car platforms, and ADA-compliant ramps.^{[39]:88, 204}

Third track between Floral Park and Hicksville

The Post Avenue Bridge near Westbury station, which was replaced in October 2017 to accommodate a third track

To accommodate an expected increase in Long Island Rail Road ridership once the East Side Access project to Grand Central Terminal is completed and to expand local and reverse peak service, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to build a third Main Line track from Floral Park to Hicksville.^[53][54] Also known as the LIRR Expansion Project, this would include purchasing properties in the track's right of way, eliminating grade crossings (in conjunction with New York State Department of Transportation), relocating existing stations, and reconfiguring Mineola Station. The project was stalled by fierce opposition from the villages of Floral Park, New Hyde Park, and Garden City,^[55][56][57] which advocated that construction and the resulting increased train service will reduce the quality of life in their neighborhoods. These villages support station improvements and the elimination of grade crossings in lieu of third track expansion, but the MTA has long insisted that a third track is a necessary component of LIRR's East Side Access expansion.^[58] In March 2015, LIRR president Patrick Nowakowski declared that the LIRR would not proceed with the project without the support of the local communities.^[59]

Small segments of the third track have been built already or will be built, however. One segment is between Merillon Avenue and Mineola; this section was built in the vicinity of Herricks Road during the grade crossing elimination project that took place in 1998.^[60] Another segment will be built as part of the upcoming station renovation at Hicksville. This construction will connect Track 1 at Hicksville station to the North Siding track located about 3,000 feet (910 m) west of the station. This short segment, when completed, will essentially serve as the eastern end of the future third track; it will also allow for a slight increase in peak-hour service.^[61][62] The MTA has also left provisions for a third track in construction of other infrastructure along the line, such as the Mineola Intermodal Center located adjacent to Mineola station, Mineola Blvd Bridge, Roslyn Road Underpass in Mineola, and the replacement Ellison Avenue Bridge over the Main Line in Westbury.^{[63][64][65][66]}

In January 2016, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a transportation improvement plan which included several million dollars in funding to restart third track development.^[67][68] Governor Cuomo said that unlike previous third track proposals, his plan involves building the third track within existing LIRR right of way, which will reduce the number of existing homes and businesses affected by installation of the third track.^[69] While previous proposals would have affected around 250 properties, 80 of which were homes, Governor Cuomo's proposal would only require taking small amounts of property from 50 properties in total, including around 20 homes.^[69] This reduction in properties affected be accomplished by shifting the alignments of tracks in some areas to make room for the third track within the right-of-way and building a shorter third track than previous proposals, resulting in a 9.8-mile (15.8 km) three-track segment starting at Floral Park, the easternmost station shared by the Hempstead Branch and Main Line, instead of the previously planned 11.5-mile (18.5 km) segment starting from Queens Village, where the Hempstead Branch and Main Line split from a 4-track corridor into two distinct pairs of tracks.^[67][70] Despite the promise of mitigation efforts, several local politicians denounced the governor's plan within a day of its announcement; Floral Park's mayor told the New York Times that "we thought this was dead and buried",^[67] while New Hyde Park's mayor pledged to "fight the governor vehemently on this" and a local state senator called the governor's plan "dead on arrival."^[71]

In December 2017, the LIRR awarded a contract for the project to the consortium 3rd Track Constructors for $1.8 billion, with construction beginning in 2018 and completion estimated for 2022.^[72][73][74] The first part of the contract includes the reconstruction of the Carle Place, Mineola, and Floral Park stations; the construction or reconstruction of six railroad crossings and underpasses; and the construction of a parking structure at Mineola station. These projects will start between winter 2018 and winter 2019.^[75] A groundbreaking ceremony for the third track project was held on September 5, 2018.^[76][77]