Massapequa (LIRR station)

Massapequa

Massapequa station entrance from NY 27 in March 2015.
Location Sunrise Highway & Broadway
Massapequa, New York
Coordinates 40°40′37″N 73°28′09″W / 40.676901°N 73.469052°W / 40.676901; -73.469052Coordinates: 40°40′37″N 73°28′09″W / 40.676901°N 73.469052°W / 40.676901; -73.469052
Owned by Long Island Rail Road
Line(s)
  Babylon Branch
Platforms 1 island platform
Tracks 2
Connections NICE Bus: n54, n55, n80, n81
Construction
Parking Yes
Bicycle facilities Yes; Bike rack and locker
Disabled access Yes
Other information
Fare zone 7
History
Opened October 26, 1867 (SSRRLI)
Rebuilt 1891, 1953, 2013-2015
Electrified May 20, 1925
750 V (DC) third rail
Previous names South Oyster Bay (1867-1889)
Traffic
Passengers (2006) 5,919[1]
Services
Preceding station   LIRR   Following station
Babylon Branch
toward Babylon

Massapequa is a station on the Babylon Branch of the Long Island Rail Road in Massapequa, New York. It is officially located on Sunrise Highway east of Broadway and NY 107 and parking lots are located far beyond its given location. The station serves the Babylon Branch, which leads to the Montauk Branch.

History

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 and 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 was in service between December 14 & 18, 1953.

Massapequa Station is near the west side of Massapequa Preserve State Park. During much of the mid-20th Century, Robert Moses wanted to extend the Bethpage State Parkway along the west side of the park down to Merrick Road.

Platform and tracks

1 ■ Babylon Branch toward New York (Seaford)
2 ■ Babylon Branch toward Babylon (Massapequa Park)

The station has one 12-car-long high-level island platform between the two tracks. One interesting fact is that 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.

Reconstruction

Platform rehabilitation project

In Spring 2013 the LIRR began work on the Massapequa Station Platform Rehabilitation Project, which is an ongoing program to replace the station's aging platform structure, platform canopy, elevator, escalator, platform waiting room, and the pedestrian bridge over Broadway. The project, which is expected to last two years, will begin with the western half of the platform and finish with the eastern half of the platform. During work, passengers alighting at Massapequa have to be seated in either the first or last six cars of trains (depending on which half is being worked on and which direction the train is going). The work will also include the instillation of a new, heated waiting room on the platform and a granite mural wall opposite the ticket office.[2]

The Massapequa station eastern half under construction in March 2015

On August 25th, 2014 the Western half of the station was completed and put back in service, and the new elevator went into service one week later. In addition, the Eastern half was closed and will be rehabilitated and was scheduled to be completed by March 2015, but due to another harsh winter delays pushed it back a few months.

On June 29, 2015, the Eastern half of the platform was completed and put into service, marking the completion of the platform project and now the whole 12-car platform is in service.

The project was estimated to cost the MTA $20 million, and was completed in the Summer of 2015.[3][4]

Pocket track

The LIRR also plans to install 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, which would be long enough to fit a full 12-car train. The project is expected to cost $19.6 million. Construction is on schedule to begin in April 2014 and should be completed by March 2016.[5] As of September 2015, a signal gantry frame was erected at the East end of the now newly completed platform, and the tracks and ties for the pocket track along with switches had been installed in the ballast. It might be completed ahead of schedule if there are no delays. All that is left is to electrify, straighten, smooth, and install signals and wire them to either Babylon Tower.

References

  1. ↑ Average weekday, 2006 LIRR Origin and Destination Study
  2. ↑ Massapequa Renovation Set to Begin this Spring (The LIRR Today)
  3. ↑ MTA Capital Program Dashboard
  4. ↑ "LIRR begins $40-million station modernization project". Railway Track & Structures. May 20, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  5. 1 2 Massapequa Pocket Track (The LIRR Today)
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