Jamaica (LIRR station)
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| Jamaica | |||||||||||||||||||
 Looking west at Jamaica |
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| Station statistics | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Lines | Long Island Rail Road: Main Line;
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| Connections | New York City Subway:   at Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK AirportAirTrain JFK New York City Transit buses: Q24, Q30, Q31, Q43, Q44, Q54, and Q56 Long Island Bus: N4 |
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| 5 | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 8 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | 1876 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 1913, 2001-2006 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Accessible |  |
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| Owned by | Long Island Rail Road | ||||||||||||||||||
| Fare zone | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
Jamaica Station (often referred to simply as Jamaica) is the major hub and headquarters of the Long Island Rail Road, and is located in Jamaica, Queens, New York City. It is the largest transit hub on Long Island and is one of the busiest railroad stations in the country with over 200,000 daily passengers. In the New York City area it ranks only behind Pennsylvania Station, Grand Central Terminal, and Secaucus Junction, with over 1,000 trains passing through it every day. It has a direct rail connection to John F. Kennedy International Airport via AirTrain JFK. There are also elevator connections to the Archer Avenue Line of the New York City Subway at Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue (E J Z), directly below. The area just outside is served by the Q24, Q30, Q31, Q43, Q44, Q54, Q56, and N4 bus routes, with more available within a few blocks of the station.
All LIRR services except the Port Washington Branch pass through Jamaica Station. The Main Line westwards leads to Long Island City and Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan, while the Atlantic Branch diverges along Atlantic Avenue to Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. The Montauk Branch also serves one daily train to/from Long Island City. East of Jamaica, these three lines diverge, with some branch services using the Main Line, some using the Atlantic Branch, and some using the Montauk Branch.
Because of its central location on all but one of the services, it is common for commuters to have to "change at Jamaica", meaning switch from one train to another heading for his or her final destination. "Change at Jamaica" is common lingo among LIRR riders.
The main entrance to the station, where tickets may be purchased and where waiting areas are located, is a 100-year old building that also serves as the offices and headquarters of the Long Island Rail Road Company.
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[edit] Configuration and operation
Jamaica functions as the operational hub for the system. The platforms at Jamaica are designed to facilitate the arrival of several trains at once. During the morning rush, westbound trains, originating from one of three lines and heading to one of the three New York terminals, are scheduled to arrive at Jamaica simultaneously on tracks 1, 2, and 3. Passengers can then cross over to the platform containing their train heading to their destination terminal by either utilizing stairs or passing through the train on track 2. In the evening commute, this process is reversed. Eastbound trains originate at one of the New York terminals destined for one of the branch lines. These trains arrive on tracks 6, 7, and 8 and allow commuters to cross over to the desired outbound train. The middle tracks – 4 and 5 – share a single platform which is utilized during both the morning and evening rush hours to provide passengers ability to transfer to their destination train on the other side of the platform.
[edit] Expansion
In 2006, the MTA completed a $387 million renovation project, begun in 2001 and carried out in conjunction with the construction of AirTrain JFK's terminal (the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey contributed $100 million toward the project).
The project had two goals: Passenger-oriented renovations included new platforms and pedestrian bridge, a central elevator bank linking the LIRR to the street and to the Sutphin Blvd subway station, a new mezzanine connecting to AirTrain and a new steel and glass canopy over the elevated tracks.[1] The focal point of the project was the Jamaica Control Center, built by Tishman Construction Corporation and Bechtel. The JCC houses the LIRR offices, railroad control center and MTA Police.[2] Overall, the renovations enlarged the station and have made it more modern and efficient, providing easier access to all eight LIRR tracks. The entire station complex, including AirTrain and the subway, is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The project was named "2006 Project of the Year" by the Long Island branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers.[3]
| Preceding station | Long Island Rail Road | Following station | ||
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toward Penn Station
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Main Line (City Terminal Zone) |
branches
toward Long Island
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toward Long Island City
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Terminus
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Montauk Branch (City Terminal Zone) |
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(employees only)
toward Flatbush Avenue
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Atlantic Branch (City Terminal Zone) |
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City
toward New York terminals
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Main Line (Hempstead Branch) (also Oyster Bay Branch, Port Jefferson Branch, and Ronkonkoma Branch) |
(employees only)
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| Montauk Branch (West Hempstead Branch) (also Babylon Branch) |
toward Montauk or West Hempstead
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| Atlantic Branch (Far Rockaway Branch) (also Long Beach Branch) |
toward Far Rockaway or Long Beach
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| Belmont Park Branch |
Terminus
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[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ LIRR Press Release August 9, 2006
- ^ Buildings.com
- ^ NY Daily News article
[edit] External links
- MTA Long Island Rail Road
- MTA-LIRR Official Jamaica Station Website
- LIRR History website
- Jamaica Station (The SubwayNut)
- Buildings.com
- Jamaica (LIRR station) is at coordinates Coordinates:
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