Massapequa station

Massapequa
Massapequa station entrance from the parking lot, alongside NY 27 in March 2015.
General information
LocationSunrise Highway & Broadway
Massapequa, New York
Coordinates40°40′37″N 73°28′09″W / 40.676901°N 73.469052°W / 40.676901; -73.469052
Owned byLong Island Rail Road
Line(s)Montauk Branch
Distance28.7 mi (46.2 km) from Long Island City[1]
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsLocal Transit Nassau Inter-County Express: n54, n55, n80
Construction
ParkingYes
Bicycle facilitiesYes; Bike rack and locker
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone7
History
OpenedOctober 26, 1867 (SSRRLI)
Rebuilt1891, 1953, 2013-2015, 2021
ElectrifiedMay 20, 1925
750 V (DC) third rail
Previous namesSouth Oyster Bay (1867–1889)
Passengers
2012—20144,768[2]
Rank24 of 125
Services
Preceding station Long Island Rail Road Following station
Seaford Babylon Branch Massapequa Park
toward Babylon
     Montauk Branch does not stop here
Former services
Preceding station Long Island
Rail Road
Following station
Seaford Montauk Division Massapequa Park
toward Montauk
Location
Map

Massapequa is a station along the Long Island Rail Road's Montauk Branch in Massapequa, New York, serving Babylon Branch trains. It is officially located on Sunrise Highway east of Broadway and NY 107 and parking lots are located far beyond its given location.

History

[edit]

Early history

[edit]

Massapequa station is typical of the elevated Babylon Branch stations that were rebuilt during the mid-to-late 20th century. It was originally built by the South Side Railroad of Long Island on October 28, 1867 as South Oyster Bay station, until May 1889. The second relocated depot was built May–June 1891, and razed in January 1953 as part of the grade elimination project of the post-war era. A temporary station was relocated west of the former location on January 12, 1953, and the current elevated structure entered service between December 14–18, 1953.

Recent improvements

[edit]
The Massapequa station eastern half under construction in March 2015

Platform rehabilitation project

[edit]

In Spring 2013 the LIRR began work on the Massapequa Station Platform Rehabilitation Project, to replace the station's aging platform structure, platform canopy, elevator, escalator, platform waiting room, and the pedestrian bridge over Broadway. The project was estimated to cost the MTA $20 million, and was completed in the Summer of 2015.[3][4]

Pocket track

[edit]
Massapequa Pocket Track (foreground), seen from eastbound train. Note incomplete installation of the third rail.

The LIRR is installing a pocket track east of the Massapequa station. The pocket track, which will be used for turning trains that begin or end their trips at Massapequa Station, would be installed east of the station, in the middle of the two Babylon Branch tracks that are platform-width apart at this point.[5]

The pocket track would be 1,700 feet (520 m) long, enough to fit a full 12-car train. The project is expected to cost $19.6 million.[5] Construction of the pocket track began in 2014. As of September 2015, a signal gantry frame was erected at the East end of the newly completed platform, and the tracks and ties for the pocket track along with switches had been installed in the ballast. The project was originally projected to be completed by November 2015,[6] though was delayed until April 2019;[7] it would eventually be completed in 2021.[8]

Station layout

[edit]

The station has one 12-car-long high-level island platform between the two tracks. It is the only Babylon Branch station that does not sit atop a concrete viaduct; instead it sits on top of a grassy embankment similar to Westbury.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Long Island Rail Road (May 14, 2012). "TIMETABLE No. 4" (PDF). p. IV. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  2. ^ "2012-2014 LIRR Origin and Destination Report : Volume I: Travel Behavior Among All LIRR Passengers" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. August 23, 2016. PDF pp. 15, 197. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2020. Data collection took place after the pretest determinations, starting in September 2012 and concluding in May 2014. .... 2012-2014 LIRR O[rigin and ]D[estination] COUNTS: WEEKDAY East/West Total By Station in Numerical Order
  3. ^ MTA Capital Program Dashboard Archived August 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Nunez, Jenifer (May 20, 2013). "LIRR begins $40-million station modernization project". Railway Track & Structures. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  5. ^ a b Massapequa Pocket Track (The LIRR Today)
  6. ^ "MTA Capital Program Oversight Meeting" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. January 2013. p. 8. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  7. ^ "MTA Long Island Rail Road Committee Meeting" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. November 2017. p. 35. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  8. ^ Joint Metro-North and Long Island Committees Meeting. mta.info (Report). November 2021. p. 57. Archived from the original on July 7, 2022. Retrieved June 15, 2022.
[edit]