Main Line (Long Island Rail Road)

Route description and current train service

The Main Line has two tracks from just east of Long Island City to Harold Interlocking (HAROLD, 0.6 miles (0.97 km) northwest of the Woodside station), where the four track Northeast Corridor from Penn Station in Manhattan joins the Main Line after passing through the East River Tunnels. East of HAROLD, the four-track Main Line runs adjacent to the two-track Port Washington Branch until, 0.7 miles (1.1 km) southeast of the Woodside station, the Port Washington Branch turns northeastward. The Main Line continues southeast with four tracks to JAY Interlocking where it meets the Atlantic Branch and Montauk Branch at the west end of Jamaica station. Eight platform tracks and two bypass tracks pass Jamaica station, along with a few yard tracks and two former freight tracks on the south side that can be used by trains bypassing Jamaica. At HALL Interlocking just east of the station there are eight through tracks: two usually westward tracks for Main Line and Montauk trains, two Atlantic Branch tracks that are about to duck under and turn southeast, two usually eastward Main Line/Montauk tracks, and the two former freight tracks on the south side of Hall tower.

Just east of there, Montauk Branch trains get their own two tracks in the center of the four Main Line tracks until the Montauk tracks fly over the other tracks and head southeast. At QUEENS Interlocking, just inside Nassau County between the Queens Village and Bellerose stations, the four-track Main Line splits into the two-track Main Line and the two-track Hempstead Branch; the four tracks continue parallel to Floral Park station where the Hempstead Branch curves away southward. The two-track Main Line continues east to Mineola where the two track Oyster Bay Branch begins and curves to the north. The line continues east from Mineola to Hicksville where the two track Port Jefferson Branch begins and curves to the north. To FARM Interlocking (just east of Farmingdale station), the Main Line has two tracks, then is single track with passing sidings to Greenport except for a three-mile stretch of double track from west of Deer Park to east of Brentwood. The Main Line was electrified between Hicksville and Ronkonkoma in 1987, requiring construction of high platforms along that stretch. LIRR plans to eventually complete double track to Ronkonkoma as part of the Ronkonkoma Branch Double Track Project. Phase I of construction, which will double track the five mile stretch between Central Islip and Ronkonkoma stations, began in April 2014.

The Main Line west of Jamaica to Harold Interlocking is the only line that can reach the East River Tunnels, so all trains bound for Penn Station use it. The portion between HAROLD and the Long Island City station is used by trains originating or terminating at Hunterspoint Avenue and LIC.

East of Jamaica station, the Main Line is used by all trains on the Hempstead Branch, the Oyster Bay Branch (diverging east of Mineola), the Port Jefferson Branch (diverging east of Hicksville), and the Ronkonkoma Branch (terminating at Ronkonkoma, the easterly limits of the line's electrification). Some Montauk Branch trains use the Main Line on their way to Babylon via the Central Branch, diverging east of Bethpage.

Only a few diesel shuttle trains, informally known as scoots, operate between Ronkonkoma and Greenport.

History

The Main Line opened beyond Jamaica to Hicksville on March 1, 1837; shortly afterwards, the Panic of 1837 severely curtailed construction. It was extended to Farmingdale on October 15, 1841, Deer Park on March 14, 1842, Brentwood on June 24, Central Islip on July 14, 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.

The line was electrified in stages throughout the early 20th Century. Electrification between Long Island City and Jamaica began on September 8, 1910. Prior to this segment however, the line was electrified from to Queens Village and Belmont Park in October 2, 1905, and then to Floral Park, in May 26, 1908. Hempstead Branch stations southeast of Floral Park were electrified on the same date, but 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, up north to East Williston station. The line was electrified to Hicksville, and then north along the Port Jefferson Branch to Huntington in 1970, and finally electrification was extended from Hicksville to Ronkonkoma in 1987.

Second track between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma

In 2012, the MTA approved a project to build a second track between Ronkonkoma and Farmingdale, a well anticipated event since the electrification of the rail line in the 1980s. Currently, the only areas east of Farmingdale with two tracks are between Deer Park and Brentwood stations (including those stations), at Central Islip station, and finally at Ronkonkoma itself. This construction will take place on land already owned by the LIRR (acquired during the 1980s electrification of this segment) so no land acquisition is required. It will include upgrades to switches, grade crossings, and station facilities. The project will be done in two phases:

The project officially got underway in August 2015. With the help of a New Track Construction machine, workers officially laid the second track between Ronkonkoma and Central Islip within a year, with some work still to be done. There were a few weekends with no service, and in addition, a few grade crossings were closed for two days to add the second track to the crossings. A design–build contract for phase 2 was awarded in June 2016. In August 2016, workers started to clear brush and make space for Phase 2 east of Deer Park near Wyandanch.

The benefits of the project include increased operational flexibility, increased reverse-peak service between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma, and increased off-peak service between Hicksville and Ronkonkoma—operating half-hourly instead of just hourly—as well as increased resilience for the system, as this additional capacity will allow the Main Line to better serve as a substitute for South Shore lines in case of a disturbance caused by extreme weather.

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. 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, and the MTA expects to finish construction by late 2018. Other locations along the line considered for a new electric yard but rejected include Deer Park, Central Islip, and Yaphank. Reasons given include the cost of land acquisition, the fact that the Deer Park option would impact several grade crossings, duplicate employee facilities and would not benefit customers east of Deer Park, the fact that the proposed Central Islip site (Connetquot River State Park) is State parkland, and the high cost of electrification and station upgrades between Ronkonkoma and Yaphank.

Possible reopening of Republic Station

The MTA has expressed interest in reopening Republic station, located between Farmingdale and Pinelawn, which closed in 1987 as part of electrification between Hicksville and Ronkonkoma. At the time, the station only had about a dozen riders daily, which didn't make it very 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 Route 110 near the station, which has led to the MTA looking into re-opening Republic station.

The reopened station would serve the Route 110 corridor, a major north-south commercial route. The station was deferred from the MTA's 2010-2014 budget due to budgetary issues, but revived in 2012. 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.

Signalling between Ronkonkoma and Yaphank

The 46 miles between Ronkonkoma and Greenport is one of the few dark territory areas on the Long Island Rail Road that does not have signals. The MTA budgeted $29 million in 2015 to add signals along the 10-mile segment from Ronkonkoma to Yaphank. This upgrade will install signals, track circuits, and automatic speed control (ASC).

Third track between Queens Village and Hicksville

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 has proposed to build a third Main Line track from Queens Village to Hicksville in the future. Components of the project include purchasing properties in the track's right of way, eliminating grade crossings (in conjunction with NYSDOT), relocating existing stations, and reconfiguring Mineola Station. The project has been stalled by fierce opposition from the villages of Floral Park, New Hyde Park, and Garden City, which say the 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; however, the MTA has long insisted that a third track is a necessary component of LIRR's East Side Access expansion. In March 2015, LIRR president Patrick Nowakowski declared that the LIRR would not proceed with the project without the support of the local communities.

Small segments of the third track have been built already or will be built, however. One segment is between Merillon Avenue and Mineola, built in the vicinity of Herricks Road during the grade crossing elimination project that took place in 1998. 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 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. 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.

In January 2016, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced a transportation improvement plan which included several million dollars in funding to restart third track development. 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. While previous proposals would have affected around 250 properties, 80 of which were homes, Governor Cuomo's proposal would only require taking property from 50 properties in total, including around 20 homes. This reduction in properties affected be accomplished by building a shorter third track than previous proposals, resulting in a 9.8-mile (15.8 km) three-track segment instead of the previously planned 11.5-mile (18.5 km) segment.

Stations

Hempstead Branch trains run on separate tracks east of Queens Village (and, east of Floral Park, split to the south), Oyster Bay Branch trains split off after Mineola, and Port Jefferson Branch trains split off after Hicksville. Montauk Branch trains that use the Main Line and Central Branch split off after Bethpage, but only some stop at Mineola and Hicksville east of Jamaica.