Redrawing the Map of the LIRR, Post-ESA

This post was published in 2013 and was based on concepts and ideas that have continued to evolve over time.  The LIRR published a proposed service plan and draft timetables in 2022.  Read about the proposed East Side Access service plan here. 

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It is a question that has been asked by many, many people over the last couple years, and it is a question that I see a lot in my Google Search referrals: how is the LIRR going to schedule trains once Grand Central is open?  It's a very valid question, considering the LIRR is going to have a brand new terminal and a place where they can run 24 more trains per hour during rush hours.

Needless to say, when 2019 rolls around and ESA finally opens, we are going to see major schedule revamping to all of the LIRR's branches.  It won't be the tiny 2-3 minute tinkering we see done now, it will be more like throw out the current schedules completely and start over.

Right now it appears there are three schools of thought coming out of the LIRR higher-ups as to what direction they would move in scheduling-wise when it comes to post-ESA LIRR operations:

1. Abdication of Atlantic Terminal: basically every train in the timetable that currently goes to Atlantic Terminal now will go to Grand Central in 2019. The Jamaica-Brooklyn routing would be reduced to a mere shuttle service that would ping back and forth between Atlantic Terminal and tracks 4 and 5 at Jamaica. The LIRR would then add an odd extra train here or there into Grand Central to supplement that, but for the most part, things would stay very similar to what they are now, except that "Atlantic Terminal" on all of the schedules would be whited out and "Grand Central" scribbled in its place (and another 6 minutes tacked onto each train's time...)
2. Abolition of Timed Transfers at Jamaica: this one's really loopy. With this school of thought, the LIRR would abolish timed transfers at Jamaica (so "change at Jamaica" will be a thing of the past). This means that all branches would have to have sufficient service to both terminals (so branches that see hourly service would likely see two trains an hour in the future, one to Penn and one to Grand Central. Likewise those branches graced with half-hourly service would see four trains an hour, two to NYP and two to GCT.) This plan would require a whole lot more crews and shorter trains (i.e. twelve car trains on the LIRR would be out the door, and we'd be seeing nothing but six or eight car trains). (Then the diesel branches would be abandoned like they should've been years ago and the poor old author is going to have to drive an hour and a half to Ronkonkoma every day :-()
3. Mid-Line Starts: under the front-running ideal, the LIRR would adopt a Metro-North train running mentality and ditch the long superlocals and replace them with two express trains, one going to Grand Central and one going to Penn Station.  Here are some examples:
1. So an twelve car Babylon Local would be split into two separate six car trains, a train from Babylon making stops as far as Wantagh, then running express all the way to Jamaica thence to Penn Station and a second train that starts at Massapequa, makes all local stops to RVC, then Jamaica, then Grand Central. And you'd change between the Local GCT and the Express NYP train at either Jamaica or Wantagh, depending on how the scheduling Gods want it to be.
2. Likewise, a Ronkonkoma train would be split into two trains, one making stops from Ronkonkoma to Wyandanch, then Hicksville and Jamaica on its way to Penn Station and a train from Farmingdale that makes stops at Farmingdale, Bethpage, Hicksville, Carle Place, Mineola, then Jamaica on its way to Grand Central.
3. A Huntington train would make stops through Westbury, then Mineola, Jamaica, and Penn Station. A new train would then start at East Williston, make stops at Mineola, Merillon Avenue, New Hyde Park, Floral Park, Queens Village and Hollis before Jamaica and Grand Central.
4. A Port Washington train would be split into a Port Washington-Bayside train that then runs express to Woodside and Penn Station, and a Great Neck-Flushing train that makes local stops before Woodside and Grand Central.

So the Mid-Line Starts school of thought is sort of the frontrunner, and is the direction I'd like to see the LIRR go it.  Along those lines, in the rest of this post I'll be going through each train service pattern in my "ideal post-ESA LIRR" and show how this would be the best direction for the LIRR to go in after Grand Central becomes available.

Let's start with the re-drawn map of the LIRR.   After much blood, sweat, and shards of glass from a C3 window I punched out in frustration while making this, I present to you my first experiment with Adobe Illustrator, a post-ESA redrawn map of the Long Island Rail Road:

Map of my ideal service patterns following ESA.  Unofficial map. Click to enlarge.

The map might be a little sloppy, but essentially each line on the map would represent a train that would run either once or twice an hour and meet up with another train at Jamaica before continuing west to one of the LIRR's four terminals.  The map is more representative of off-peak and weekend service, as peak-hour service would involve a lot more express service and trains that make two or three stops then skip Jamaica and head to one of the terminals and would be too complicated to fit onto a map.  I also left dual-mode services off the map as well.

So now I'll go through each train service on the map and take you through my thought process for each train.  For the section headers I'll just use three letter abbreviations instead of writing out all the station names, if you're stumped as to what a three letter code means, just take it in context with the rest of them and use the map above to figure it out.

BAB-LYN-COP-AMY-MPK-MAS-SFD-WGH-JAM-KEW-FHL-NYP
This train would be the "outer Babylon Branch" express.  It would start at Babylon, make local stops through Wantagh station, then run express to Jamaica.  At Jamaica, it would meet up with the Farmingdale-Grand Central train and the Hempstead-Atlantic Terminal train for those respective connections.  After Jamaica that train would stop at Kew Gardens and Forest Hills then go straight to Penn Station.


MAS-SFD-WGH-BEL-MER-PRT-BAL-RVC-JAM-KEW-FHL-GCT
This train would be one of those new mid-line starts.  The "inner Babylon Branch" local would originate at Massapequa, then make all local stops through Rockville Centre.   This train would turn off of the proposed Massapequa Pocket Track, which would sit between the two tracks between Massapequa Park and Massapequa.  The eastbound train of this type would arrive at Massapequa from Grand Central, go onto the pocket track, change ends, and wait for the Babylon express to pass it by coming west before exiting the pocket track and going west towards Grand Central.  After Rockville Centre it would go straight to Jamaica, skipping Lynbrook and St. Albans.  At Jamiaca, it would have connections to the Ronkonkoma-Penn Station train and the Far Rockaway-Atlantic Terminal train.  After leaving Jamaica it would stop at Kew Gardens and Forest Hills like its outer Babylon counterpart and then run to Grand Central Terminal.  This train would basically arrive and leave Jamaica 15 minutes after the outer Babylon express does (so if the outer Babylon express to Penn Station leaves Jamaica at :15 and :45 past the hour, the inner Babylon local to Grand Central would leave at :00 and :30.)  And with this spacing, the trains would more or less meet up at Massapequa, with the outer Babylon express would depart Massapequa a minute or two before the Massapequa local originates, so if you wanted to go from Copiague to Freeport you could still do so by simply hopping off the Babylon train at either Massapequa, Seaford, or Wantagh, and just get on the Massapequa local that would follow a minute or two behind.

RKO-CIP-BNW-DPK-WYN-HKV-JAM-WSD-NYP
This train is the "outer Ronkonkoma Branch" express.  It would start at Ronkonkoma, make stops to Wyandanch, skip Farmingdale and Bethpage, stop at Hicksville, then proceed on an 80 m.p.h. stretch of the legs non-stop straight to Jamaica.  At Jamaica it would connect with the Massapequa-Grand Central local and the Far Rockaway-Atlantic Terminal train for its Brooklyn connection.  After Jamaica it would make Woodside as many Ronkonkoma trains do now, then proceed west to Penn Station.   Customers from Ronkonkoma Branch stations destined for local stops west of Hicksville can just transfer trains at Hicksville, like they do now.  People from outer Ronkonkoma stops that want to go to Bethpage or Farmingdale are out of luck.  Thankfully there's not too many of them (they could always transfer at Hicksville and trackback the other way).  Hopefully the Double Track Project would be far enough along at this point to allow half-hour service along this branch.

FDL-BPJ-HKV-WBY-CPL-MIN-JAM-WSD-GCT
This train is your "inner Ronkonkoma Branch" local.  It would originate at Farmingdale, like many trains today already do, stop at Bethpage, Hicksville, Carle Place, and Mineola.  Then it would glide to Jamaica where it would connect to the outer Babylon Branch express to Penn Station and the Hempstead train to Atlantic Terminal.  Then the train would leave Jamaica, stop at Woodside, then go straight to Grand Central.

HUN-CSH-SYO-HKV-WBY-CPL-MIN-JAM-KEW-FHL-SYS-NYP
This train is very similar to those weekend Huntington local-expresses that exist today.  The train leaves Huntington, stops at Cold Spring Harbor, Syosset, Hicksville, Westbury, and Mineola.  Then the train would glide to Jamaica.  At Jamaica it would connect to a brand new train from Lynbrook that would go to Grand Central (scroll down a tad).  This train wouldn't have a direct Atlantic Terminal connection, since only Hempstead and Far Rockaway trains would be going there, but with a train there every 15 or 30 minutes, the wait for a Brooklyn connection wouldn't be that bad.  This train would then leave Jamaica stop at Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Sunnyside and Penn Station.  (Sunnyside is a new station that will be right in the thick of it in Queens for Penn Station trains.)  This train would link KEW and FHL to Sunnyside.

EWL-MIN-MAV-NHP-FPK-QVL-HOL-JAM-GCT
This train is kinda interesting.  It would originate at East Williston.  Yes, it would be an electric train.  There is third rail along the Oyster Bay Branch from where it splits at Mineola all the way up to just north of that Hillside Avenue crossing next to the East Williston station (so East Williston is the only station on the Oyster Bay Branch that has third rail).  And there is a set of switches just south of East Williston station that are part of NASSAU interlocking that are just perfect for turning trains (in fact, that's what they were designed for, as the electrification of the main line ended here at one point).  There is currently one morning train on weekdays that runs like this, it's an electric train that starts at East Williston and makes all local stops (including Floral Park, Queens Village, and Hollis).  This train would run every half hour (exercise that third rail that sits there doing nothing most of the day), make stops at Mineola, Merillon Avenue, New Hyde Park, Floral Park, Queens Village, Hollis, and Jamaica.  At Jamaica it would meet up with the Long Beach train to Penn Station.  This train would then run straight to Grand Central after Jamaica, making no further stops.

PJF-STY-SJM-SMT-KPK-DKE-GLN-HUN-HKV-JAM-HPA-LIC
These are just like your current Port Jefferson diesel runs, they will run at the same frequency they do now, except instead of trains ending their runs at Huntington or Hicksville and transferring there, EVERY train would run to Long Island City.  All day and weekends too.  It's high time they started using HPA and LIC far more than they do now.  All this transferring at Huntington nonsense is silly.  Take a page out of NJT's book and run just about every diesel you can to your waterfront terminal (LIC) and people will use it.  We just might see ridership at those two stations grow if they didn't get such rotten service.  End of rant (for now!)

PWN-PLN-MHS-GNK-LNK-DGL-BAY-WSD-SYS-NYP
Basically take your Port Washington Branch schedule now, restore half hourly service, cut out all the stops after Bayside, and add a stop at Sunnyside and you have your new "outer Port Washington Branch" express.  It would skip Auburndale through Flushing, but it would still stop at Mets-Willets Point on gamedays.

GNK-DGL-LNK-BAY-AUR-BWY-MUY-FLU-WSD-GCT

This train is the mid-line start for the Port Washington Branch.   During rush hours, lots of trains turn at Great Neck already.  They turn off the Great Neck Pocket track there.  Post-ESA we would just extend this Great Neck short-turning to happen all day and weekends too.  (yes, I know as part of the Colonial Road Improvement Project they told residents that the pocket track would only be used during rush hours, but lots of promises are going to be broken to make all this work.)  The train would make all local stops west of Great Neck, then go to Grand Central.  Port Washington branch customers can change trains to one that is going to a different terminal at Woodside (they can either take the other Port Washington train or one of the other trains that stop at Woodside).

HMT-CLP-GCM-NAS-STW-FLP-BEL-JAM-ATL
Hempstead Branch trains would like they do now, maybe they'll bump the frequency up to half-hourly, but we'll see.  The trains would leave Hempstead, make local stops to Floral Park, keep its stop at Bellerose (since the East Williston train wouldn't be able to stop at Bellerose the way it's platform is positioned), but it would skip Queens Village and Hollis (and it would save that clumsy crossover at QUEENS interlocking where the train has to get all the way over two busy tracks to stop at Queens Village and Hollis).  It would then offer connecting passengers from other trains the trip to Atlantic Terminal, making stops along the way at ENY and Nostrand Avenue.

LBC-ISP-OCN-ERK-CAV-LYN-VSY-JAM-NYP
This train stays the same as it does for the most part now.  The train makes Long Beach Branch stops, including stops at Lynbrook and Valley Stream, then it goes straight to Jamaica, and then express direct to Penn Station.  Trains would run half-hourly, ridership permitting.

LYN-VSY-ROS-LAU-LCM-JAM-WSD-GCT
This start would originate at Lynbrook, and run under the Far Rockaway Branch banner (keeping the brown color instead of orange).  It would stop at Lynbrook, Valley Stream, Rosedale, Laurelton, Locust Manor, Jamaica, Woodside, then finally Grand Central.  The trains would change tracks at VALLEY interlocking to the west, and wrong-rail one direction and offer a cross-platform transfer to the Long Beach train at Lynbrook (or Valley Stream, whichever is easier).  Like the above, trains would run half-hourly, ridership permitting.

FAR-INW-LAW-CRH-WME-HEW-GIB-VSY-JAM-ATL
This is a Far Rockaway train that makes the current Far Rockaway Branch stops, but skips Rosedale, Laurelton, and Locust Valley at all times (those stops would be covered under the Lynbrook-Grand Central train just above, with people switching trains at Valley Stream).  The train would the stop at Jamaica where it would offer New York connections to their trains before proceeding to Atlantic Terminal.  Like the two above, trains would run half-hourly, ridership permitting.

OBY-LCV-GCV-GST-SEA-GLH-GVL-ROS-ALB-EWL-MIN-JAM-HPA-LIC
Standard Oyster Bay Branch diesel trains.  The schedule for this one would stay pretty much exactly the same as it is now.  Maybe a new dual mode, but we'll see.  Oh, and all trains go to LIC all times (see rant about underusing HPA and LIC above).

WHM-HMG-LKV-MAL-WSW-SAB-JAM-HPA

The poor old West Hempstead Branch will still have service if it doesn't get abandoned by 2019, and the trains would stop at the five West Hempstead Branch ridership powerhouses, skip Valley Stream, stop at St. Albans (like West Hempstead Branch trains should), then make Jamaica and then continue to Hunterpsoint Avenue.  It won't terminate at Valley Stream.  It won't terminate at Jamaica.  Hunterspoint Avenue.  (insert rant again).  Electric trains can go to Hunterspoint Avenue because Hunterspoint Avenue has third rail (LIC doesn't).  In a perfect world, West Hempstead Branch trains would run every two hours, and they would be spaced out with the Oyster Bay branch bi-hourly trains to provide hourly service to Hunterspoint Avenue all day and on weekends (they would be supplemented by Montauk and Port Jefferson trians that would boost service there too).

MTK-AMG-EHM-BGH-SHM-HMB-WSH-BAB-JAM-HPA-LIC
SPK-MSH-BPT-PDE-SAY-BSH-BAB-JAM-HPA-LIC
PDE-SAY-OAK-GRV-ISP-BSH-BAB-JAM-HPA-LIC
Run all Montauk trains to Hunterspoint Avenue or LIC.  Period.

BEL-JAM-HPA
BEL-JAM-ATL

These two are my "Belmont Branch" idea trains.  I'll have more on this Belmont Branch service and more about Belmont Park station in general and how the LIRR's underusing that too the week of the Belmont Stakes (that's "Belmont Week!")

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So you basically see my thinking in this.  Take a long local and split it into two trains with the outer of the two trains going to Penn Station, and the inner of the two going to Grand Central.  You can switch between the two, and less frequent HPA, LIC, and ATL connections at Jamaica.

If you have any questions or comments, please, please, please, please contact me or leave a comment.  I'd love to hear input on this.  Thanks!