What LIRR branches will serve Grand Central if and when ESA ever opens?

[Shortline Bus]

Just a hyptothecial question. Assuming ESA(east side access)is ever completed by the year 2015 or so, what LIRR Branches or lines are the most likely to be rerouted and serve Grand Central station?

Also could the Rockaway Beach line be restored to serve JFK airport along with a direct train to Montauk.

 

Thanks in Advance.

[Forest Glen]

I honestly don't know. However, based on conjecture it wouldn't be the diesel branches since diesels aren't allowed at GCT and the DM30's have problems operating in electric mode. If I had to guess I'd say Babylon, Ronkonkoma, and Port Jefferson/Huntington.

[metsfan]

ESA is ahead of schedule and just under budget so far. My guess based on all the info i've seen is that it will serve all of the lines, and/or have future provisioning in place if any lines are re-activated or extended. It all comes down to trains per hour capacity vs demand and other factors. The first trains will run on the port washington & other northern lines, and a few terminating at jamaica to allow rush hour "shuttle" to/from. If they have extra funds left when project is complete, you may see additional expansion and/or other work done.

 

- A

[The TransitMan]

I honestly don't know. However, based on conjecture it wouldn't be the diesel branches since diesels aren't allowed at GCT and the DM30's have problems operating in electric mode. If I had to guess I'd say Babylon, Ronkonkoma, and Port Jefferson/Huntington.

 

 

 

If lets say Ronkonkoma serves Grand Central, then I tend to doubt that the Huntington/Port Jefferson will operate out of Grand Central as well. I think they would split those up since they basically run often...like the Babylon Branch too.

[metsfan]

If lets say Ronkonkoma serves Grand Central, then I tend to doubt that the Huntington/Port Jefferson will operate out of Grand Central as well. I think they would split those up since they basically run often...like the Babylon Branch too.

 

Penn station will handle half of the heavy load, GCT the other half. The other 2 city zone terminals will pick up everything else as they always have. This really is a HUGE capacity increase from manhattan, so see trains be more often as ridership rises once the schedules are worked out etc. Also see more transfers move from and be shared with woodside and jamaica. Woodside will be the first stop after GCT. Woodside will see transfers between penn station served trains, long island city served trains, and GCT served trains. It'll be quite exciting to see so much more traffic once everything is completed. Back at its peak LIRR had ~ 5 trains per hour at every station. Maybe we'll see that again?

 

- A

[MattTrain]

I'm going to make some wild guesses here as of which railroad branch will serve Grand Central from Long Island.

 

1. Port Washington Branch: because it serves Flushing

2. Oyster Bay Branch

3. Port Jefferson Branch

4. Montauk Branch

5. Ronkonkoma Branch

 

 

Anyways, all of those routes serve northern part of Long Island and far East. I don't see the Far Rockaway Branch, West Hemstead Brand, or the Babylon Branch, going to Grand Central, need at least one transfer to another train for Grand Central.

 

The City Terminal Zone Branch will def. serve Grand Central for sure.

Anyways, just a hypothetical thought.

[Joe]

For some reason I feel like I read somewhere that the diesel fleet wont clear the 63rd street tunnel...anyone else ever hear that or am I losing it?

 

Edit: ah yes, I knew I read it somewhere. http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=56012&start=15 ; third post down.

[metsfan]

For some reason I feel like I read somewhere that the diesel fleet wont clear the 63rd street tunnel...anyone else ever hear that or am I losing it?

 

Edit: ah yes, I knew I read it somewhere. http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=56012&start=15 ; third post down.

 

There is no provision for diesel there. Any diesel trains will be a transfer from an EMU.

 

- A

[Jamaica Express]

All lines that currently operate into Penn Station will also operate into Grand Central, some existing trains will be re-routed into GCT while new ones will be created,MAJOR timetable changes will be instituted when ESA opens,hopefully during that time the 3rd Mainline track will be completed which will allow for increased peak service on the Huntington and Ronkonkoma Branches as well as increased reverse peak service between Jamaica and Hicksville as ESA compliments service into Penn Sta

[MTR Admiralty]

I'm going to make some wild guesses here as of which railroad branch will serve Grand Central from Long Island.

 

1. Port Washington Branch: because it serves Flushing

2. Oyster Bay Branch

3. Port Jefferson Branch

4. Montauk Branch

5. Ronkonkoma Branch

 

 

Anyways, all of those routes serve northern part of Long Island and far East. I don't see the Far Rockaway Branch, West Hemstead Brand, or the Babylon Branch, going to Grand Central, need at least one transfer to another train for Grand Central.

 

The City Terminal Zone Branch will def. serve Grand Central for sure.

Anyways, just a hypothetical thought.

Yeah, I really do see that the PW, OB, PJ, Montauk and Ronkonkoma Branches will head to Grand Central. Definitely PW, because the PW does parallel the 7, when there is a major GO on the 7, the NYCT customers could make good use of the ESA/Port Washington Branch, this has been shown last year when the 7 was shut down from Woodside to Flushing.

[KeystoneRegional]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[MTR Admiralty]

I'd rather not guess on this because the LIRR will have all branches serve at least all of the City Terms...

PW does not connect to Flatbush though, remember that one.

[KeystoneRegional]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[MTR Admiralty]

Oops, forgot Flatbush... I was thinking about Flat Bushes(plants), !

Haha... no. ><

The latter half of your comment is not needed.

[FamousNYLover]

If LIRR Eastside Access is complete, they should have free LIRR Shuttle Bus (one they did with Amtrak).

[KeystoneRegional]

Please, watch the Nazi Banksters Crimes Ripple Effect at http://jforjustice.co.uk/banksters

[MTR Admiralty]

If LIRR Eastside Access is complete, they should have free LIRR Shuttle Bus (one they did with Amtrak).

From where to where?

[Jamaica Express]

PW does not connect to Flatbush though, remember that one.

 

I like to think of the Port Washington Branch as the LIRR's version of the line...its "landlocked"...without really being landlocked one connection to the rest of the system...than its basically on its own(the PW Branch would serve Flatbush if it could...but since it doesn't go through Jamaica...where all the other lines converge/diverge..it can't)...So while the rest of the railroad serves all the city terminals the PW Branch exclusively serves Penn...im sure it will serve GCT as well though...being that its one of the LIRR's busiest lines

[MTR Admiralty]

I like to think of the Port Washington Branch as the LIRR's version of the line...its "landlocked"...without really being landlocked one connection to the rest of the system...than its basically on its own(the PW Branch would serve Flatbush if it could...but since it doesn't go through Jamaica...where all the other lines converge/diverge..it can't)...So while the rest of the railroad serves all the city terminals the PW Branch exclusively serves Penn...im sure it will serve GCT as well though...being that its one of the LIRR's busiest lines

 

That is a good point made. :tup: