79-427: 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 ,
158-589: A 7 acres (2.8 ha) section in Forest Park that has been mapped as parkland. The line remains officially out of service and is known by locals as "the forgotten spur", a name which dates back to the mid-1950s when the subway plans for the spur were dropped. Much of the original infrastructure has either been removed, damaged, rotted or undermined, though some rails, wooden ties, electrical towers and even de-electrified third rails can still be found in some sections, with much of it dating from 1908 or earlier, when
237-795: A connection to the IND Fulton Street Line at Liberty Avenue via the former Fulton Street elevated line , the city began operating it as the IND Rockaway Line on June 26, 1956 to great fanfare. The line's connection with the Atlantic Branch at Woodhaven Junction, consisting of an interlocking, tunnel portal and incline that rose to meet the elevated Rockaway Branch, was closed and removed in October 1955. This connection had primarily been used to allow trains from Brooklyn to reach Aqueduct Racetrack . The remains of
316-683: A form of technical terminology applied to railways. Although many terms are uniform across different nations and companies, they are by no means universal, with differences often originating from parallel development of rail transport systems in different parts of the world, and in the national origins of the engineers and managers who built the inaugural rail infrastructure . An example is the term railroad , used (but not exclusively) in North America , and railway , generally used in English-speaking countries outside North America and by
395-474: A future rail line, as QueensLink proponents had proposed. The New York Times wrote that "both sides feel passionately that they are in the right", since central Queens lacked both parkland and rail lines. QueensLink supporters continued to advocate for converting the line into a combined rail and park corridor. The federal government provided $ 117 million in early 2024 for the Queensway plan. QueensRail Corp,
474-565: A new racino at Aqueduct Racetrack led to a proposal from Governor Andrew Cuomo to build a massive convention center in the vicinity. Talks of reactivating the line were publicly endorsed in February, 2012 by Assemblymen Phillip Goldfeder and Michael G. Miller . Goldfeder commented "The commute for people here is only going to go from bad to worse. You can't talk about a convention center without talking about transportation." Goldfeder and Miller said they are not opposed to turning sections of
553-706: A nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization , was founded by the Queens Public Transit Committee in 2016 to promote better transit in Queens and specifically reusing the Rockaway Beach Branch for transit. In contrast to the Queensway, which was conceived as a park project, QueensRail was conceived as a transportation project. In March 2017, the Queens Chamber of Commerce held a debate to discuss both plans. Travis Terry of Friends of
632-404: A result of the Queensway. In September 2022, mayor Eric Adams announced that the Queensway would be built. Adams announced that $ 30 million had been allocated to construct the park's first phase, between Metropolitan Avenue and Forest Park , and that an additional $ 5 million would be spent on environmental studies. The announcement was controversial because the plans did not include space for
711-742: A slot that allows the casting to fit over the rail near the wheel of a derailed car. The locomotive then pushes or pulls the car so that the derailed wheel runs up the rerailer and back on to the track. Also see Extended Wagon Top Boiler . Also see Waist sheet . Also see Expansion knee . Also see Valve gear. Also see Grate Also see Train air signal apparatus. Also see Control system. Also Adhesion railway . Also Adhesion railway . Also see Hub. Also Adhesion railway . Also see Whistle stem. Also Coupler Yoke , Bell Yoke , Guide Yoke , Valve Yoke . Atlantic Avenue Division The Atlantic Branch
790-533: A study of all options for the disused line. The study will be done by students, who are local residents of Queens. The state of New York approved a new MTA study to reactivate the Rockaway Beach Branch, with the report due by March, 2017. As of January 5, 2017, the MTA and Port Authority are evaluating use of the Rockaway Beach LIRR for a one-seat trip between Penn Station and Grand Central and JFK. Though
869-533: A study of the branch's possible reactivation was completed in September 2018, it was not published until October 2019, following the publication of a news story about the study's delayed release. The study concluded that reactivation as an LIRR line may cost $ 6.7 billion, while as a subway line it may cost $ 8.1 billion. This cost estimate has been questioned by a report put out by QueensRail Corp and TEMS (see Rockaway Beach Branch § QueensRail ), which showed that
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#1732782403526948-654: A subway line on the right-of-way was estimated to be $ 641 million in 1989 according to a study conducted by the Port Authority. The DCP issued a paper on airport access in March, 1991 and proposed two rail alignments using the branch. Route A would have run from Midtown Manhattan to JFK and LaGuardia Airports running through the 63rd Street Tunnel and Sunnyside Yard, above the LIRR on an elevated structure from 58th Street to Winfield Junction and then to White Pot Junction, over
1027-575: Is a regular haunt for hikers and urban explorers who have documented the abandoned stations along this route. The right-of-way can be easily be seen, especially along the abandoned elevated embankment in Woodhaven and Ozone Park. The line is owned by the City of New York, with certain areas around the former junction with the Montauk Branch that have been redeveloped for interim use, including
1106-536: 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 . The line consists of two sections constructed separately. The portion of the line from Atlantic Terminal to Jamaica was constructed as part of the Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad and opened in 1836, while
1185-499: Is that the high costs provide an opening to consider a park." Andrew Yang , in his campaign for the 2021 New York City mayoral election , expressed support for the proposed park. The proposed park has been criticized by transit advocates such as the Queens Public Transit Committee, who prefer to rebuild the rail line as a proposed expansion of the New York City Subway . More than 322,000 people live within one mile of
1264-707: Is the successor to two separate lines: the Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad (opened 1836) along Atlantic Avenue from Flatbush Avenue to Jamaica, and the South Side Railroad of Long Island (opened 1867) from Jamaica to Valley Stream. The Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad opened the line from South Ferry to what is now 151st Street in Jamaica on April 18, 1836. Initially the line turned halfway between Classon and Franklin Avenues, running halfway between Herkimer Street and Schuyler Street (now Atlantic Avenue) along
1343-718: Is to provide transversal routes between the core trunk routes. The report suggests that the cheapest, easiest, and quickest way of doing this is to revitalize existing lines like the freight-only Bay Ridge Branch (for the Triboro RX service) or the Rockaway Beach Branch. No money has been allocated to the project, and MTA spokesperson Kevin Ortiz has said while it is just laying out future options. Assemblyman Phillip Goldfeder , who represents Howard Beach and Rockaway, announced in November, 2013 that Queens College would be undertaking
1422-431: Is underground along Atlantic Avenue . From there the line is elevated above the median of Atlantic Avenue to Dewey Place (with a stop at Nostrand Avenue ) before returning underground. At East New York the line rises to street level to cross above the north-south, freight-only Bay Ridge Branch , then descends underground once more. Between East New York and Jamaica , the closed but intact station at Woodhaven Junction
1501-686: Is visible. At 121st Street in Richmond Hill, Queens , the line rises to street level and passes the Morris Park Facility before joining the elevated Main Line at Jamaica. Immediately east of Jamaica, the line turns southeast, ducking beneath the eastward Main Line tracks. It curves parallel to the Montauk Branch after a few miles and continues next to it to Valley Interlocking in Valley Stream. The current Atlantic Branch
1580-621: The Atlantic Branch near Woodhaven , and the Far Rockaway Branch at Hammels. After a 1950 fire, the Jamaica Bay bridge was closed and the line south of Ozone Park sold to the city, which rehabilitated the portion south of Liberty Avenue and connected it to the New York City Subway system as the IND Rockaway Line . The portion north of the subway connection was closed in 1962, and three proposals exist for
1659-1025: The Broadway and Lexington Avenue els with a connection built at Chestnut Street in Brooklyn. This allowed BRT trains to access the Rockaways and Manhattan Beach, while affording the LIRR a connection into Manhattan to the BRT terminal located at Park Row over the Brooklyn Bridge (this service predated the opening of the East River Tunnels to Penn Station ). Nevertheless, the Interstate Commerce Commission ended this service in 1916 when they classified different operating standards between rapid transit trains (such as BRT trains) and regular heavy rail railroads (such as
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#17327824035261738-745: The Brooklyn Elevated Railroad (later Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company ) operated trains from Williamsburg (later Lower Manhattan ) to Rockaway Beach (at the western part of the Rockaway Peninsula), using a connection to the Atlantic Avenue Division at Chestnut Street Junction (in present-day East New York ) and the Rockaway Beach Division south of Woodhaven Junction. The NY&RB was operated independently until July 1, 1904, when
1817-653: The Brooklyn Manor station. However, in October 1955, shortly after LIRR service on the Queens portion of the Far Rockaway Branch ended, it was decided to terminate subway service at Liberty Avenue, with only the connection to the Fulton Street El completed. The right-of-way was sold to the City of New York and is now in most sections administered by the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services ("DCAS"), except for
1896-598: The East River Tunnels opened on September 8, 1910). The New York and Rockaway Beach Railway was merged into the LIRR on June 30, 1922. In 1939, a project to eliminate grade crossings was begun on the Rockaway Peninsula by elevating the line there, and completing plans that had existed since 1901. The elevated structure was completed to Hammels in 1941 and between Hammels and Far Rockaway in 1942. The June 1947 weekday schedule shows 68 trains crossing Jamaica Bay north to south: Many trains had quick connections at
1975-623: The IND Rockaway Line . The routing was met with approval from advocacy groups including the Rockaway-based Committee for Better Transit, Inc. and the Rockaway Transit Coalition. However, local and political opposition from Forest Hills , Kew Gardens , Richmond Hill and Glendale hurt the prospects of restored service, as residents along the line complained that noise levels would increase and neighborhoods would be aesthetically marred. An MTA study of
2054-741: The International Union of Railways . In English-speaking countries outside the United Kingdom, a mixture of US and UK terms may exist. Various terms, both global and specific to individual countries, are listed here. The abbreviation "UIC" refers to terminology adopted by the International Union of Railways in its official publications and thesaurus. Also Centering spring cylinder . Also Railway air brake . Also Main Reservoir and Reservoir . Also see Reverser handle . A metal casting incorporating
2133-487: The Ozone Park station . A fire on the trestle across Jamaica Bay between The Raunt and Broad Channel stations on May 7, 1950 cut service on the middle section of the line. This was among around 30 fires on the line since 1942. The LIRR continued to operate over the line with two services: one to Rockaway Park west of Hammels via the Far Rockaway Branch through Nassau County, and the other to Hamilton Beach via
2212-468: The Rockaways , raised concerns that a 2,900-foot (880 m) tunnel for the link, which would connect to the Rockaway Beach Branch, would require razing part of Forest Park , a plan that was opposed by his constituents. Santucci said that the link's construction would irreversibly destroy part of the park, destroying a community landmark and "stripping away the resources of the people for the luxury of
2291-715: The Van Wyck Expressway . Many Rockaway and central Queens residents wanted the link to run along the disused Rockaway Beach Branch, rather than along the Van Wyck, so that Rockaways residents could simultaneously get express service to Manhattan. The revised plan via the Rockaway Beach Branch was approved by the New York City Board of Estimate in 1969. The $ 210 million LIRR plan faced great criticism, and one particular section received heavy opposition. New York State Senator John J. Santucci , representing
2370-572: The right-of-way (ROW) . In October 2014, the Friends of the Queensway announced that they had finished a year-long study on the viability of the Queensway. However, it still needs about $ 122 million in funding. Friends of the Queensway stated that they wanted to appeal to city mayor Bill de Blasio for funding, because it supported two of the mayor's agendas: the Vision Zero traffic safety initiative, and de Blasio's proposal for more parkland in
2449-443: The $ 8.1 billion cost estimate had used non-standard formulas related to inflation, contingency costs, and professional services. By recalculating the costs based on approved Federal Transit Administration guidelines the report found that the true costs would lie between $ 3.4 and $ 3.7 billion. The report also found that the project would have a significant economic benefit for the city. Rail line Rail transport terms are
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2528-727: The Atlantic Branch (then the Old Southern Road ) uses the old South Side to Springfield Junction. The line was soon reopened due to a lawsuit, but closed again by Austin Corbin as of January 6, 1881. Effective May 17, 1906, when an electrified third track opened alongside the Montauk Division from Springfield Junction to Valley Stream, the Old Southern Road and this new track became part of
2607-790: The Atlantic Division. Grade-crossing elimination work between Laurelton and Jamaica began in May 1958. East of Valley Stream, the Far Rockaway Branch continues to Far Rockaway and the Long Beach Branch continues to Long Beach . As of February 27, 2023 , the Atlantic Terminal, Nostrand Avenue, and East New York stations are primarily served by a shuttle running between Atlantic Terminal and Jamaica. These stations are also served by trains on
2686-551: The Brooklyn Manor station instead. Other obstacles would include developments that have been built in the right-of-way after the branch's 1962 abandonment, as well as severe deterioration to much of the existing infrastructure. A second component of the study examined options for possible extensions to JFK Airport, including a possible connection to the AirTrain JFK or a wholly-new alignment. Many people who live along
2765-410: The LIRR leased it as the Rockaway Beach Division. The line south of Woodhaven Junction was part of the LIRR's first electrification , along with the Atlantic Avenue Division west to Atlantic Terminal , with electric passenger service beginning July 26, 1905. Steam trains continued to serve Rockaway Park from Long Island City until June 16, 1910, when the electrified Glendale Cut-off opened, extending
2844-569: The LIRR main line from Berlin Junction (west of Jamaica) to Rockaway Junction and the LIRR's Rockaway Branch to Springfield Junction , where it crossed the South Side. This change took effect June 25, 1876, and resulted in the closure of the South Side's Berlin, Beaver Street (Jamaica), Locust Avenue , and Springfield stations. This formed the current configuration, where the Montauk Branch follows this route, mostly ex-South Side, and
2923-460: The LIRR). By the late 1930s, it was clear that the rest of the line needed to be grade separated. Much of the surrounding area along Atlantic Avenue in Ozone Park and Richmond Hill began their suburban development leading to more traffic along Atlantic Avenue which was plagued by the line's many grade crossings. The City of New York along with the LIRR thus allocated the funds to depress the rest of
3002-558: The Logan Bus Company lot. Since service ended in 1962, there have been repeated talks of restoring the line to active passenger service. The first of these proposals was a 1963 proposal that would have reactivated the line by connecting it to the IND Queens Boulevard Line . As part of the 1968 Program for Action , there was a proposal to re-extend the LIRR to John F. Kennedy International Airport via
3081-579: The Main Line's connection to the Rockaway Branch through Whitepot Junction. The Jamaica Bay trestle meanwhile remained out of service. The LIRR, then on the verge of bankruptcy, saw the Rockaway Beach Branch south of Ozone Park as a liability and did not wish to spend the huge sum need to repair it, and sought to either sell or abandon it. The city of New York, however, saw great potential in extending subway service over Jamaica Bay and purchased
3160-428: The Queensway argued for the park while Rick Horan of QueensRail argued his for rail service; when prompted, both said a compromise was not possible. Soon after, Horan reached out to blogger and cartographer Andrew Lynch, who outlined a proposal where both parks and rail would be integrated side by side. Under Horan and Lynch's concept, the right of way would include both a new park and a rail line above. The name QueensLink
3239-675: The Rockaway Beach Branch, before using two tracks of the IND Rockaway Line to Howard Beach, from where a 2 miles (3.2 km)-long extension could be built to JFK. Route B would have deviated at 48th Street, running via Northern Boulevard to 54th Street, from where it would extend on an elevated structure to connect with the New York Connecting Railroad at 64th Street, connecting with the LIRR Main Line near 51st Street. The DCP report recommended using
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3318-526: The Rockaway Beach Branch, combined with the fact that New York City Subway service in the area is limited, with only the BMT Jamaica Line ( J and Z trains) passing through the neighborhood. Another argument is that the Queensway would pass through Forest Park , where there is already a large 538 acres (218 ha) park. There is also opposition from residents, who fear that their privacy would be invaded and rents raised as
3397-549: The Rockaway Beach Branch. The park would be an example of the re-use of abandoned railway land in an urban setting. The plan proposes it to be redesigned as an aerial greenway like the High Line. In mid-2013, the American Institute of Architects held a design contest for potential designs for the rail trail. The recycling of the railway into a trail is supported primarily by people who do not live adjacent to or near
3476-850: The Rockaways. The new route would take 30 minutes, while the existing route to the Rockaway via the South Side Railroad would take an hour and a half. The plans were later changed (on March 13, 1878) to build a 4 ft 8 + 1 ⁄ 2 in ( 1,435 mm ) standard gauge line from Hunter's Point rather than Greenpoint. An agreement was made with the Long Island Rail Road in 1880 to operate over its Montauk Division to Bushwick and Hunter's Point (via trackage rights from Glendale Junction) and Atlantic Division to Flatbush Avenue (carried by LIRR locomotives from Woodhaven Junction) . In order to support
3555-408: The area. Congressmen Hakeem Jeffries and Gregory Meeks added their support for the project in March 2013. Both representatives will push to allocate federal transportation subsidies to study a plan for restored passenger service. Another suggestion for reuse was proposed in the MTA's Twenty-Year Capital Needs Assessment for 2015-2034, published in October 2013. An issue the MTA is trying to address
3634-569: The branch for subway service as opposed to commuter rail service so more stops could be added and so that the fares could be lower. In 2001, the MTA suggested routing the proposed AirTrain JFK airport service over the line. The route was to begin at Penn Station , following the route of the original Rockaway Beach Branch, through Rego Park, Ozone Park, and ultimately branching off at the current Howard Beach–JFK Airport subway station ( A train) served by
3713-540: The branch, two Ozone Park-bound and two Penn Station-bound. The LIRR's application to eliminate two of these four trains was rejected. It had sought to eliminate the train leaving Ozone Park at 8:41 AM, which had an average of 92 riders a day, and the train leaving Penn Station at 7:01 PM, which had an average of 62 daily riders. No connection with the parallel IND Rockaway Line was made in Ozone Park, further hurting any potential ridership growth. The LIRR, realizing that
3792-435: The city; under the plan, there would be bike lanes, walking trails, and access points at major intersections. It would benefit the local economy and include, among other things, "exercise stations, food concessions and outdoor nature classrooms". So far, $ 1.2 million has been raised. After the feasibility study about the branch's possible reactivation was published in October 2019, a Friends of the Queensway member said, "Our hope
3871-667: The communities along the route. A study completed by the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) in October, 1990 titled "Coordinated Program to Improve Mass Transportation Accessibility between Queens and Manhattan", recommended using the branch to connect with the Jamaica Elevated to use the lower level of the Archer Avenue lines . The estimated cost for the line was $ 282 million in 1988 prices, with $ 80 million used for
3950-446: The entire line to Jamaica was to be grade separated. Between 1903 and 1905 the line was depressed into a tunnel from Flatbush Avenue to Bedford Avenue, then placed on an elevated viaduct from Bedford Avenue to Ralph Avenue then depressed back into a tunnel until Manhattan Crossing located just west of East New York station. At East New York the line returned to grade level then rose onto another elevated viaduct until Atkins Ave. The rest of
4029-501: The extension from Aqueduct to JFK Airport. A report completed by the New York City Department of City Planning (DCP) in 1991, which analyzed the potential use of inactive railroad rights-of-ways for transit service, recommended that a subway line be constructed to provide faster service to Midtown and to better serve southeastern Queens through the construction of park-and-ride facilities near JFK Airport. The cost of
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#17327824035264108-513: The extra traffic, the LIRR agreed to double-track the Montauk Division west of Richmond Hill and the Atlantic Division west of Woodhaven Junction. After a delay caused by financial problems, the line opened on August 26, 1880, and the LIRR stopped running trains from its New York terminals to Rockaway Beach via Valley Stream and its Far Rockaway Branch . It continued to operate through trains to Far Rockaway , as well as trains between Long Beach and Rockaway Beach. The company went bankrupt and
4187-659: The feasibility of reactivating the line found that it would not be convenient to 68% of commuters traveling between the outer boroughs and the Rockaways; in addition, people traveling from Far Rockaway would have to wait longer, on average, for a train. MTA also cited high operational and construction costs as detriments. It has been argued that restoration is needed to enable redevelopment of the Rockaways, "a potentially very-attractive area that has long suffered from slow transit service. Higher property values and influxes of people attracted by fast service to Midtown could revitalize en-route neighborhoods like Richmond Hill." The success of
4266-511: The few". In October 1974, the president of the Hammel Holland Seaside Civic Association wrote to Mayor Abraham Beame , "It is our earnest plea to you that your decision on this rape of Forest Park be rescinded." The association's president further said that although it would be cost-ineffective to create a premium service to JFK Airport, the Rockaway Beach Branch should still be reactivated for local passengers. In April 1976, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Chairman William Ronan said that
4345-404: The interlocking can still be seen in the Atlantic Avenue tunnel, while the incline is now used by Logan School Bus Company, who parks their bus fleet along the incline. LIRR service continued on the remaining 3.5-mile (5.6 km) portion of the Rockaway Beach Branch between Rego Park and Ozone Park, under a lease from the New York City Transit Authority . Ridership sharply declined, however, and
4424-411: The isolated section of double trackage between Rego Park and Ozone Park, due to the intended connection to the IND Queens Boulevard Line subway. This had been proposed under the IND Second System and later by Robert Moses , with an existing provision at the 63rd Drive subway station for a future connection to Whitepot Junction. An additional plan proposed a connection to the BMT Jamaica Line around
4503-475: The line and its stations began to deteriorate due to vandalism and lack of maintenance. On May 9, 1958, the New York Public Service Commission approved the LIRR's application to discontinue facilities at the five stations on the line, except for the platforms and suitable shelters. Two platforms would have to be preserved at Ozone Park, while one platform would have to be preserved at the other stations. At this point, just four daily weekday trains had operated on
4582-490: The line from Atkins Ave to Morris Park located just west of Jamaica remained at grade level along Atlantic Avenue with numerous grade crossings with the anticipation of grade separating the line later on. Additionally a new terminal and yard was built at Flatbush and Atlantic Avenues. Electric service commenced in 1905 with the line consisting of two tracks between Flatbush Avenue and Woodhaven Junction and four tracks beyond that point to Jamaica. LIRR then ran two services along
4661-539: The line from Jamaica to East New York had many more stations along Atlantic Avenue spaced at closer intervals, much like a rapid transit line. The four tracks between Jamaica and Woodhaven Junction lent itself to this service with the "rapid transit" trains using the outer two tracks while commuter trains used the inner two tracks. In November 1925, 25 "local" trains left Brooklyn each weekday for Queens Village, 12 more ran to Hillside, and 16 more ran to Jamaica. All trains made all stops, 15 of them west of Queens Village. Fare
4740-420: The line from Morris Park to East New York in a tunnel. Building of the tunnel commenced in 1939 (although plans to build the tunnel date back to 1893) with two of the line's four tracks being pulled out of service and the rapid transit service being discontinued. On December 28, 1942, the tunnel was completed and opened with the two remaining at-grade tracks pulled out of service. Around this time Atlantic Avenue
4819-562: The line into a park named Queensway , but said people who live in Rockaway, Ozone Park, Howard Beach and other areas along the right-of-way have no quick or easy way to get into Manhattan. The Genting Group , which operates the racino and has been asked to construct the convention center, was evaluating several plans to increase transportation access, and was committed to paying for part of the transportation improvements. Queensway advocates are against resumption of rail service, stating that current bus service fills current transportation needs in
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#17327824035264898-429: The line north from Glendale on the Montauk Division to White Pot Junction at Rego Park on the Main Line . This extension also included another connecting track from the Montauk Branch west of Union Turnpike at Forest Park to Parkside Station . At the same time, the Rockaway Beach Division was electrified north of Woodhaven Junction, and the Main Line was electrified west of Rego Park (and into Penn Station when
4977-459: The line of the present Herkimer Place. It turned slightly to the southeast near Howard Avenue, crossing the centerline of Schuyler Street about one-third of the way between Hopkinson Avenue (Thomas Boyland Street) and Paca Avenue (Rockaway Avenue). It crossed into the town of New Lots just beyond Stone Avenue (Mother Gaston Boulevard). The Atlantic Branch was one of the first lines in the LIRR system slated to be electrified. In anticipation of this
5056-423: The line on June 11, 1952 for $ 8,500,000, equal to $ 97,526,316 today. All stations south of Ozone Park were taken out of service on June 27, 1955, and no trains ran on the line south of Ozone Park during the winter of 1955–1956 to allow the New York City Transit Authority to rebuild the line for subway operations. After an extensive rebuild of all trestles and converting the line for transit operations, which included
5135-411: The line support the conversion either to a rail trail or back to a rail line. Many others, whose properties abut the ROW, are opposed to the ROW's redevelopment in any manner. A number of properties adjacent to the right-of-way have expanded their property fences over sections of the former right-of-way without legally acquiring the rights to the land. In 2005, residents began suggesting a conversion of
5214-419: The line to either a rail trail or greenway / linear park to be called the "Queensway". That effort has been re-initiated with proponents arguing that the unused railroad would provide green spaces and economic development opportunities like those associated with Manhattan's High Line Park . A proposed 3.5-mile (5.6 km) New York City linear park , it could be built on part or all of the disused section of
5293-434: The line was originally electrified. The failure to reactivate the northern portion of the line had been attributed to the potential high costs of connecting it to the Queens Boulevard Line, and capacity issues on the line which persist today, making the Fulton line connection more feasible. There are proposals for rail service and a rail trail on this right-of-way. One proposal juxtaposes both plans. The Rockaway Beach Branch
5372-410: The line: the traditional commuter type services from points on eastern Long Island to Flatbush Avenue, along with what was called the "local rapid transit " service, frequent elevated/subway like service at lower fare between Flatbush Ave and Queens Village . Although referred to as a rapid transit service, standard LIRR cars were used, and the service was operated by regular railroad rules. At this time
5451-438: The link was "not feasible" due to the economic downturn and a corresponding decrease in air traffic. A subsequent study for a dedicated two-lane bus rapid transit line to JFK along the Rockaway Beach Branch, called the "Transitway", was released in 1982. The line would also host taxis , limousines, and vans going to the airport. The Port Authority scrapped the plan the following year in the face of near-unanimous opposition from
5530-487: The portion from Jamaica to Valley Stream was constructed as part of the South Side Railroad of Long Island in 1867. Partly underground and partly elevated, the Atlantic Branch runs from Atlantic Terminal in Downtown Brooklyn to Valley Stream , in Nassau County , where it becomes the two-track Long Beach Branch with the two-track Far Rockaway Branch splitting southward just east of the Valley Stream station . The section between Atlantic Terminal and Bedford Avenue
5609-413: The real costs would fall in the range of $ 3.4 to $ 3.7 billion. If either option is carried out, the branch would require considerable reconstruction. Under the LIRR restoration option, the stations at Rego Park, Parkside, Woodhaven, Ozone Park, Aqueduct Racetrack, and Howard Beach would be rebuilt. The subway option is similar except that it would not rebuild the LIRR's Rego Park station, and would rebuild
5688-454: The report to the MTA, sent a FOIL request that was also denied. After almost a year of appeals the MTA finally released the requested documents, which were almost completely redacted. QueensLink then raised discretionary funds from several Queens city councilmembers and hired the transportation consulting firm TEMS to evaluate the MTA's cost estimate. TEMS's report, released in June 2021, showed
5767-482: The reuse of the line. The New York, Woodhaven and Rockaway Railroad was incorporated on March 21, 1877 and organized on March 24 to build a 3 ft 6 in ( 1,067 mm ) narrow gauge line from Greenpoint, Brooklyn (connecting with the New York and Manhattan Beach Railway ) via Cypress Hills and Woodhaven to Rockaway Beach . This route was created in order to cut an hour off of travel times to
5846-631: The truncated operation was better served by the subway, quietly ceased service on June 8, 1962 following approval from the New York Public Service commission. At the time, the Rockaway Beach Branch was the LIRR's only passenger-service branch, aside from the City Zone Terminals (Penn Station, Atlantic Terminal, and Long Island City), that ran entirely within the New York City limits. The city never filed to abandon
5925-532: Was built just west of the Woodhaven Junction station to connect the two lines, but these closed after the abandonment of the Rockaway Beach Branch between 1955 and 1962. The portion east of Jamaica was opened by the South Side Railroad of Long Island on October 28, 1867, as part of its initial line from Jamaica to Babylon . With the consolidation of the South Side into the Long Island Rail Road system in 1876, all passenger trains were rerouted to use
6004-467: Was chosen to represent how the plan would "link" the northern and southern parts of Queens; the team considered the "rail" in QueensRail too specific and derisive. QueensLink officials pressured the MTA to release the Rockaway Beach Branch reactivation study in October 2019. QueensLink questioned the high costs of the subway and LIRR options and, after unsuccessfully sending a letter of questions about
6083-542: Was probably 10 cents for 13 miles Queens Village to Brooklyn, compared to about 40 cents on "express" LIRR trains making six or seven stops (but a monthly ticket good on any train was $ 7.10). For a while the LIRR operated joint service along the Atlantic Branch with the Brooklyn Rapid Transit company (BRT) consisting of two connections, one with the Fifth Ave El at Flatbush Avenue, and another with
6162-538: Was raised over the East New York station via a viaduct that separated the road and the railroad. The elevated trestle from East New York to Atkins Avenue was also demolished as it had been included in the new tunnel to Jamaica. Only one station was included in the new tunnel: Woodhaven Junction, where the Atlantic Branch crossed under the Rockaway Beach Branch . An interlocking and track connection
6241-579: Was sold under foreclosure on July 30, 1887 to Austin Corbin , owner of the LIRR, who reorganized it as the New York and Rockaway Beach Railway (NY&RB) on August 19, 1887 and transferred the property on September 1, 1887. The old Far Rockaway Branch west of Arverne was soon connected to the NY&;RB at Hammels , and was abandoned west of the new connection. The NY&RB began operating trains to Far Rockaway over this connection. From 1898 to 1917,
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