Ronkonkoma Branch

Ronkonkoma Branch (Greenport Branch)
Train leaves Deer Park.
Overview
Type	Commuter rail
System	Long Island Rail Road
Status	Operational
Termini	Hicksville Greenport
Stations	15
Operation
Opened	1837-1844
Owner	Long Island Rail Road
Operator(s)	Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification	750V (DC) Third rail (west of Ronkonkoma)

The Ronkonkoma Branch is a rail service operated by the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) in the U.S. state of New York. On LIRR maps and printed schedules, "Ronkonkoma Branch" refers to trains running along the railroad's Main Line from Hicksville (where the Port Jefferson Branch leaves the Main Line) east to the line's terminus at Greenport.^[1][2]

The section of the Main Line east of Ronkonkoma is not electrified and is sometimes referred to as the Greenport Branch. Nine trains travel along this eastern section on weekdays, using diesel-electric or electro-diesel locomotives. Except for one morning train per day from Deer Park to Riverhead, all passengers travelling through Ronkonkoma change trains there.

Electrification

Electrified service, which was extended from Hicksville to Ronkonkoma in 1987,^[3] ends at the enormous Ronkonkoma station. Two eastbound and three westbound Greenport Branch diesel-electric trains travel each weekday between Ronkonkoma and Greenport. An additional two westbound and one eastbound each weekday runs as far as Riverhead, and one eastbound each weekday runs as far as Yaphank. In addition, an eastbound runs between Deer Park and Riverhead in the morning, and is intended for use primarily by jurors. There is seasonal summer weekend service, consisting of two roundtrips to Greenport.

The line is presently single-tracked between the old Republic station (near Republic airport in East Farmingdale) and Deer Park, as well as between Brentwood and Greenport (with sidings at stations). As part of the capital plan the LIRR is discussing construction of a full second electrified track from Farmingdale to Ronkonkoma to ease congestion in Suffolk County at Pinelawn, Wyandanch, Central Islip, and the 5 mile stretch between Central Islip and Ronkonkoma. On April 17th, 2012 the MTA got the go ahead with funding to start the double tracking project of the branch, and the project is slated to be complete by 2019. Plans may eventually include electrification further east, possibly as far as Riverhead, due to the possible construction of a new electrified yard in Yaphank.^{[citation needed]}

East of Ronkonkoma service controversy

The LIRR has tried to discontinue service east of Ronkonkoma on several occasions, citing minimal service (three trains daily) due to low ridership. New York State has declined this request each time, as Long Island's population continues to grow eastward. As recently as 2010, the idea was once again entertained by the financially strapped MTA (the LIRR's parent company), who proposed that service be truncated to summer weekends only. This did not happen, but weekend service outside of the summer (defined as Memorial Day-Columbus Day) was discontinued.

Central Branch

Some LIRR maps also include as part of the Ronkonkoma Branch the non-electrified Central Branch, which splits from the Ronkonkoma Branch east of Bethpage and connects with the more southern Montauk Branch, just west of Babylon. There are no stations along this stretch, and only about three trains use it per day, all with diesel-electric engines. No trains using this track appear on Ronkonkoma Branch schedules; they appear on Montauk Branch and Babylon Branch schedules, and some appear on schedules for Mineola and Hicksville on the Main Line, if a stop is scheduled there.

Stations

Station/ location	Miles (kilometers) to Penn Station	Connections/notes
For continuing service to Jamaica and points west, also see Port Jefferson Branch
Hicksville Newbridge Road and West Barclay Street, Hicksville	26.8 (43.1)	Transfer to Port Jefferson Branch trains Bus (Nassau Inter-County Express): N20, N20 Limited, N22, N22 Limited, N48, N49, N50, N73, N74, N78, N79, N80, N81
Grumman Bethpage		closed November 1985[4][5]
Bethpage Stewart Avenue and Jackson Avenue, Bethpage	29.9	Central Branch splits east of here Bus (Nassau Inter-County Express): N81
Farmingdale Off Secatogue Avenue, on Front Street and Atlantic Avenue, Farmingdale	32.2	Bus (Nassau Inter-County Express): N70, N72
Nassau County / Suffolk County border
Republic Farmingdale		closed 1987
Pinelawn Wellwood Avenue and Long Island Avenue, Pinelawn Memorial Park	34.4	Bus (Suffolk County Transit): S31
Wyandanch Straight Path and Long Island Avenue, Wyandanch	36.6	Bus (Suffolk County Transit): S23, S33, 2A, 2B
Deer Park Pine Aire Drive and Long Island Avenue, Deer Park	38.4	Bus (Suffolk County Transit): S27
Pineaire Deer Park		closed October, 1986
Brentwood Brentwood Road and Suffolk Avenue, Brentwood	42.8	Bus (Suffolk County Transit): S27, S41, S45, 3A, 3B, 3D
Central Islip Lowell Avenue and Suffolk Avenue, Central Islip	45.3	Bus (Suffolk County Transit): S42, S45, 3C, 3D
Ronkonkoma Hawkins Avenue and Johnson Avenue, Ronkonkoma	50.3	Bus (Suffolk County Transit): S57, S59, 6A, 7A Shuttle van to Long Island MacArthur Airport
Electrification ends at Ronkonkoma Station.
Holbrook Holbrook		closed June 1962 (date unconfirmed)
Holtsville Holtsville		closed March 16, 1998
Medford Medford Avenue (New York State Route 112) and Long Island Avenue, Medford	56.1	Bus (Suffolk County Transit): S61
Yaphank Yaphank Avenue and Park Street, Yaphank	60.6	Bus (Suffolk County Transit): S71
Manorville Manorville		closed 1968
Calverton Calverton		The station closed c. 1958 A spur to the Naval Weapons Industrial Reserve Plant used by Grumman closed in the early 1990s. In February 2010, plans were announced to reactivate the spur in a $3.5 million rehabilitation for freight trains of the New York and Atlantic Railway to serve an industrial park at the airport. Funds come from the federal stimulus funding. The spur parallels Connecticut Avenue to the airport.[6][7]
Riverhead Osborne Avenue and Railroad Street, Riverhead	75.3	Bus (Suffolk County Transit): S58, S62, S90, S92, 8A
Aquebogue Aquebogue		closed 1967 (date unconfirmed)
Jamesport Jamesport		closed February 4, 1985 [1]
Laurel Laurel		closed 1967
Mattituck Love Lane and Pike Street, Mattituck	84.4	Bus (Suffolk County Transit): S92
Cutchogue Cutchogue		closed 1962
Peconic Peconic		closed 1970
Southold Youngs Avenue and Traveler Street, Southold	92.1	Bus (Suffolk County Transit): S92
Greenport Wiggins Street and 4th Street, Greenport	96.3	Bus (Suffolk County Transit): S92 Ferry to Shelter Island

Train #8054 at Farmingdale, using diesel locomotives due to construction.

References

v t e Long Island Rail Road Main routes Main Line Atlantic Montauk Branch services Babylon Belmont Park Central City Terminal Zone Far Rockaway Hempstead Long Beach Oyster Bay Port Jefferson Port Washington Ronkonkoma West Hempstead Freight operations Operator New York and Atlantic Railway Freight-only branches Bay Ridge Bushwick Mitchel Field Defunct branches Bethpage Cedarhurst Cutoff Creedmoor Evergreen Manhattan Beach Manorville Northport Rockaway Beach Sag Harbor Southern Hempstead West Brighton Beach White Line Whitestone Acquired railroads Brooklyn and Jamaica Railroad Flushing and North Side Railroad South Side Railroad of Long Island Central Railroad of Long Island Other East Side Access History Rolling stock Stations West Side Yard