New Elmont Station Will Open in One Direction Starting in November

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

https://new.mta.info/agency/long-island-rail-road/take-the-train-to-the-game/lirr-service-to-ubs-arena

The station is in Zone 4. Additionally, if anyone needs to go into Jamaica to get to the station, they will not be charged to go out to Jamaica. There's also no special fare to Belmont Park, as it will now be part of a Zone 4 ticket.  

The station is gonna be served by only Hempstead Branch trains. Personally I don't understand why they don't have the other Main Line trains (Port Jeff/Huntington, Ronkonkoma, Oyster Bay) also stop there.

More info below:

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LIRR Service to UBS Arena for Fall 2021

Updated Sep 20, 2021

New Elmont Station

A brand-new LIRR station is opening for the first time in almost half a century! The new Elmont Station, located between Queens Village and Bellerose on the LIRR's Hempstead Branch, is part of the Belmont Park Redevelopment Project, which includes the 19,000-seat UBS Arena, new home of the New York Islanders and an exciting venue for concerts and other events. The eastbound platform at the LIRR’s new Elmont Station is complete.  While construction continues on the westbound platform through 2022, eastbound customers can use the new Elmont Station for service to the UBS Arena starting in November 2021. Initially, only Hempstead Branch eastbound service will be offered at Elmont Station. This service will be available immediately before and after games or events at UBS Arena. Off peak fares will be accepted on all trains through the end of 2021.

Travel Options

Depending on where you are coming from, there are three possible stations you could use for service to the UBS Arena.  Until the westbound platform at Elmont Station opens in 2022, your routes to and from the event might not be the same, as you will not be able to travel westbound from Elmont for your return trip. We've outlined the options below so you can select the best route for you.

Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens (Jamaica, Kew Gardens, Forest Hills, Woodside) Customers 

To UBS Arena

Option 1

1. Board a Hempstead-bound train and exit at Elmont Station.

2. Transfer to an electric shuttle bus to UBS Arena or walk (10 minutes).

Option 2

1. Board a Belmont Park-bound train and exit at Belmont Park Station, which is adjacent to UBS Arena.

From UBS Arena

1. Walk to the adjacent Belmont Park Station.

2. Board a westbound train to Jamaica. Transfer for service to Penn Station and Atlantic Terminal. 

Hempstead Branch Customers 

To UBS Arena

1. Board a westbound train and exit at Queens Village Station.

2. Transfer to a shuttle bus to UBS Arena.

From UBS Arena

1. Board an electric shuttle bus to Elmont Station or walk (10 minutes).

2. Transfer to an eastbound Hempstead-bound train.

Huntington/Port Jefferson & Ronkonkoma Branch Customers 

To UBS Arena

1. Board a westbound train and exit at Queens Village Station. 

2. Transfer to a shuttle bus to UBS Arena.

From UBS Arena

Option 1

1. Board a shuttle bus to Queens Village Station.

2. Transfer to eastbound Port Jefferson- or Ronkonkoma-bound train service.

Option 2

1. Walk to the adjacent Belmont Park Station.

2. Board a westbound train to Jamaica.

3. Change for eastbound Port Jefferson or Ronkonkoma-bound train service.

Oyster Bay Branch Customers

To UBS Arena

1. Board a westbound train and exit at Mineola Station.

2. Transfer to a westbound electric train and exit at Queens Village Station.

3. Transfer to a shuttle bus to UBS Arena.

From UBS Arena

Option 1

1. Board a shuttle bus to Queens Village Station.

2. Transfer to eastbound Port Jefferson or Ronkonkoma-bound train service and exit at Mineola.

3. Transfer to an Oyster Bay-bound train.

Option 2

1. Walk to the adjacent Belmont Park Station.

2. Board a westbound train to Jamaica.

3. Change for eastbound Oyster Bay Branch service.

Babylon/Montauk, Far Rockaway, Long Beach & West Hempstead Branch Customers 

To UBS Arena

Option 1

1. Board a westbound train and exit at Jamaica Station.

2. Change for a Hempstead-bound train and exit at Elmont Station.

3. Transfer to an electric shuttle bus to UBS Arena or walk (10 minutes).

Option 2

1. Board a westbound train and exit at Jamaica Station.

2. Change for a Belmont Park-bound train and exit at Belmont Park Station, which is adjacent to UBS Arena.

From UBS Arena

1. Walk to the adjacent Belmont Park Station.

2. Board a westbound train to Jamaica.

3. Change for eastbound train service to your destination.

Accessibility 

Belmont Park Station
Belmont Park Station is accessible via ramp.

Elmont Station
The eastbound platform at Elmont Station is accessible via ramp.

Queens Village Station
Queens Village Station is accessible via elevators at the east end of each platform.

Fares 

Regardless of which routes you are taking, buy a Round-Trip ticket to Elmont Station in advance from staffed Ticket Windows, Ticket Machines and the free MTA eTix app. The ticket will be honored on all reasonable routes between your origin stations and all 3 stations (Belmont Park, Elmont, Queens Village), even if you need to travel via Jamaica or use shuttle bus service to complete your trip.

If you have a monthly ticket that includes Fare Zone 4, you can use your ticket to travel to the arena via any of the 3 stations. There is no longer a special ticket required for travel to Belmont Park.

Edited September 21, 2021 by BM5 via Woodhaven

[Lex]

The reason why only Hempstead trains will serve it is because of how the ROW is set up further east. (They could reconfigure it so Hempstead trains are on the outer tracks instead of the southern tracks, but that requires a level of investment that we shouldn't expect.)

Edited September 21, 2021 by Lex

[Lawrence St]

Isn't this station suppose to replace Belmont Station entirely?

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

2 hours ago, Lex said:

The reason why only Hempstead trains will serve it is because of how the ROW is set up further east. (They could reconfigure it so Hempstead trains are on the outer tracks instead of the southern tracks, but that requires a level of investment that we shouldn't expect.)

I'm wondering why they couldn't build it like Floral Park (two side platform, then the island platform), or why they couldn't do two island platforms. That way it's easier for all trains to stop, and may require moving a switch (perhaps), without having to reconfigure the tracks. 

[Mtatransit]

Does that mean I can just buy a ticket from Hicksville to Elmont and just get off at Jamaica and I essentially pay $3.25? 

 

Edited September 21, 2021 by Mtatransit

[paulrivera]

4 hours ago, Lawrence St said:

Isn't this station suppose to replace Belmont Station entirely?

As long as NYRA (the operator of the racetrack) remains willing to subsidize the service to the Belmont station, it's going to stay open.

If it wasn't subsidized by the track, the station would've closed 15 years ago. I believe Elmont was heavily subsidized as well, but by a different group.

[FLX9304]

They should have extra service to Belmont Park for Islander games at the UBS Arena and in this case, concerts and the WWE which will host an event there next year. I wonder what will NICE do when Islander games (41 of them) are there. 

[Mtatransit]

3 minutes ago, FLX9304 said:

I wonder what will NICE do when Islander games (41 of them) are there. 

Probably absolutely nothing.

At most I they MAY add a couple more n6's but I'm not counting on it

[FLX9304]

6 hours ago, Mtatransit said:

Probably absolutely nothing.

At most I they MAY add a couple more n6's but I'm not counting on it

You know how NICE is: no money for extra service except for maybe the 6 or the 70s from eastern LI to Hempstead where they can get the LIRR. 

[67thAve]

On 9/23/2021 at 9:45 AM, FLX9304 said:

You know how NICE is: no money for extra service except for maybe the 6 or the 70s from eastern LI to Hempstead where they can get the LIRR. 

I don't think people going to Islanders games will ever decide to take a bus. This works well for NICE, because transporting middle-class sports fans to games isn't exactly their target demographic and they'd rather provide service where it is needed most.

Edited October 21, 2021 by 67thAve

[Via Garibaldi 8]

7 hours ago, 67thAve said:

I don't think people going to Islanders games will ever decide to take a bus. This works well for NICE, because transporting middle-class sports fans to games isn't exactly their target demographic and they'd rather provide service where it is needed most.

I would agree with that. Whenever I'm on Long Island, I have always gone around by car. I don't get the impression that everyone is receptive to using that bus service out there. While the LIRR is acceptable to some extent, the bus seems to be for those who absolutely have no choice.

[QM1to6Ave]

1 hour ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I would agree with that. Whenever I'm on Long Island, I have always gone around by car. I don't get the impression that everyone is receptive to using that bus service out there. While the LIRR is acceptable to some extent, the bus seems to be for those who absolutely have no choice.

Yeah, same with westchester. All the people I know there say “the bus is what my cleaning lady/nanny takes to get here, I’ve never ridden it” LOL

[Via Garibaldi 8]

1 hour ago, QM1to6Ave said:

Yeah, same with westchester. All the people I know there say “the bus is what my cleaning lady/nanny takes to get here, I’ve never ridden it” LOL

Years ago I was invited to a very expensive networking dinner at the Oheka Castle in Huntington. Since I was coming from my office, I took the LIRR out there and just got picked up to and from the event, but yeah in subsequent meetings I've had out there to meet clients, I didn't get the impression that they use NICE. You drive there and if you do transit, it's just driving to the LIRR. I don't even think I have seen a NICE bus in person all of the times I've been on Long Island to be honest. I'm just there going around by car.

[B35 via Church]

Yeah, much of nobody's going to take NICEbus to get to no Islander game.... Quiet is as kept, it aint done here in the city with Nets, Knicks, and Rangers games either....

Across the Hudson, well... I guess they gotta pay people to go to the Prudential Center with how atrocious the Devils have been - regardless of how the hell they get there... Same goes for the Jets & Giants....

[bobtehpanda]

On 10/21/2021 at 8:29 PM, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

Years ago I was invited to a very expensive networking dinner at the Oheka Castle in Huntington. Since I was coming from my office, I took the LIRR out there and just got picked up to and from the event, but yeah in subsequent meetings I've had out there to meet clients, I didn't get the impression that they use NICE. You drive there and if you do transit, it's just driving to the LIRR. I don't even think I have seen a NICE bus in person all of the times I've been on Long Island to be honest. I'm just there going around by car.

That's probably (also) because in the immediate aftermath of the LIB transition the service cuts were so bad ridership collapsed by a third.

The bus has to be generally useful for people to consider using it during non-peak hours. It isn't even very frequent or fast during peak on most routes.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

3 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

That's probably (also) because in the immediate aftermath of the LIB transition the service cuts were so bad ridership collapsed by a third.

The bus has to be generally useful for people to consider using it during non-peak hours. It isn't even very frequent or fast during peak on most routes.

I would say that in the suburbs, driving is the norm.

[bobtehpanda]

36 minutes ago, Via Garibaldi 8 said:

I would say that in the suburbs, driving is the norm.

Driving is the norm mostly because it is so much faster and convenient (since you're not waiting around for your own car.)

It doesn't have to be. As an example, Canadian suburbs are pretty much just like American suburbs in terms of how they are built, yet they have very high transit ridership because they actually pay to run bus services as frequently as every 15 or even 10 minutes throughout the day. You get what you pay for, and in terms of that NICE was a whole exercise to pay a lot less.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

56 minutes ago, bobtehpanda said:

Driving is the norm mostly because it is so much faster and convenient (since you're not waiting around for your own car.)

It doesn't have to be. As an example, Canadian suburbs are pretty much just like American suburbs in terms of how they are built, yet they have very high transit ridership because they actually pay to run bus services as frequently as every 15 or even 10 minutes throughout the day. You get what you pay for, and in terms of that NICE was a whole exercise to pay a lot less.

That is true. Same story in Europe.

[trainfan22]

Even if NICE had great service, certain people still aren't going to ride it. In Long Island the bus is looked at as a service for low income people, Bee Line is a great bus system but it has that same stigma as NICE/SCT as people who have a decent income aren't going to ride it.

 

 

Even in the city the bus has that stigma with certain people. For example one of my teachers in High School made a joke to one of the students who talking about the B6 bus, he said "Do I look like I ride a B6 Bus?" This was a Black Man who grew up in Far Rockaway! lol. He was a great teacher.

 

 

As someone who frequents both LIRR/Metro North and their suburban bus counterparts, the demographics between the two are vastly different. 

 

 

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

On 9/20/2021 at 8:26 PM, Lex said:

The reason why only Hempstead trains will serve it is because of how the ROW is set up further east. (They could reconfigure it so Hempstead trains are on the outer tracks instead of the southern tracks, but that requires a level of investment that we shouldn't expect.)

The station is only served by Hempstead trains for now. Once third track is implemented, Ronkonkoma/Port Jeff/Oyster Bay trains will be able to serve eastbound. 

They are gonna add a crossover at Floral Park on the westbound Hempstead track. That track will be bidirectional, so RON/PJ/OB trains would be able to serve Elmont, then crossover to the westbound Hempstead track, and then crossover to the mainline after floral park (construction is still going on).

 

[Lex]

1 hour ago, XcelsiorBoii4888 said:

The station is only served by Hempstead trains for now. Once third track is implemented, Ronkonkoma/Port Jeff/Oyster Bay trains will be able to serve eastbound. 

They are gonna add a crossover at Floral Park on the westbound Hempstead track. That track will be bidirectional, so RON/PJ/OB trains would be able to serve Elmont, then crossover to the westbound Hempstead track, and then crossover to the mainline after floral park (construction is still going on).

 

This had better be part of a larger ROW reconfiguration so there are no directional conflicts once the work is finished. If not, well, someone needs to be torn a new a**hole.

[XcelsiorBoii4888]

4 minutes ago, Lex said:

This had better be part of a larger ROW reconfiguration so there are no directional conflicts once the work is finished. If not, well, someone needs to be torn a new a**hole.

None of it makes sense to me, but we'll see. Would've been better off leaving Belmont as the main station, and design crossovers in each direction to the outsides of the main line/West Hempstead 4 track series. That way you can have Atlantic Term/Penn shuttles via Jamaica. And Ronkonkoma, Port Jeff shuttles terminating at Belmont. 

There's enough space but politics comes first over logic and convenience.

[trainfan22]

I too, wish they used Belmont station rather than build a new station along the mainline. 

 

 

I think they built a new station cause trains can travel to and from it faster vs Belmont which is slow to enter and leave like Atlantic Terminal is. To access points East on the mainline from Belmont trains gotta use a U shaped track which I imagine trains gotta travel very slowly to do so.

 

 

[Lex]

25 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

I too, wish they used Belmont station rather than build a new station along the mainline. 

 

 

I think they built a new station cause trains can travel to and from it faster vs Belmont which is slow to enter and leave like Atlantic Terminal is. To access points East on the mainline from Belmont trains gotta use a U shaped track which I imagine trains gotta travel very slowly to do so.

 

 

Well, that and the fact that trains can have a full-time stop there (once the westbound platform opens) in order to provide more coverage, which will be especially useful for those trying to reach Hempstead.

[N6 Limited]

They should have made the station a Hybrid Zone3/4 station.

I see they have Ronkonkoma and Huntington Trains stopping at Queens VIllage now.