The LIRR Celebrates Jamaica Station's 100th Birthday

Back on March 9th, the LIRR station most recognized by Long Islanders--Jamaica--turned 100 years old.  While there wasn't a huge to-do about it back on the station's actual birthday, over the last several months the LIRR has been undertaking a huge restoration project on the Jamaica station building.

A video uploaded onto the LIRR's YouTube Channel Tuesday illustrates some of the work being done:


The station has come a long way in its 100 year history, the station has undergone several transformations in its lifetime.  The tracks used to be at ground level before they were raised up and reconfigured with rebuilt platforms.  More recently, the entire station complex itself went through a huge makeover when the AirTrain was constructed.

Below are some historical photos from the above video of what Jamaica was once like "back in the old days":

 (All photos credit: MTA)

A birthday cake for Jamaica station.  Hopefully it's
chocolate. (Photo  credit: MTA)

Jamaica station certainly has come a long way in its 100 year history, and it is nice to see the LIRR staying true to its roots (especially with all those Pennsy Keystones!).   In the coming years, the track level will also get a major redesign in anticipation of East Side Access.  As it looks now, the LIRR will be demphasizing the "change at Jamaica" mentality and changing around the way Jamaica and the Jamaica interlockings work.  (It's something I don't necessarily agree with, but that's a topic for another day.)

Anyways, for a station that is 100 years old Jamaica looked pretty good, and now the LIRR's renovation of it makes it look even better. This post that was published back on Jamaica station's actual birthday has more information on the station and some of the transformation's it has gone through.