njtmnrrbuff wrote: ↑Sat Oct 30, 2021 4:19 pm Even if track capacity improvements ever come to the Pt. Jefferson Line east of Huntington and LIRR orders those single level diesel hauled coaches plus runs battery powered MUs, you probably won't see many trains added to Grand Central Terminal from the Pt. Jefferson Line. Sadly much of the ridership needs are west of Huntington-that's how it goes and that's how it's been. People living east of Huntington along the Pt. Jefferson Line will probably drive to Huntington to get a train not only to Grand Central but to Penn Station.Buff: I will reply to your post -
Yes, the plan for Sunnyside Station would be to put the facility west of the part of Harold where the right of way to Grand Central will branch off. I think in general, after Eastside Access opens up, passengers living east of Huntington who end up boarding trains along the diesel stretch of the Pt. Jefferson Line will be best off either transferring in Huntington or Jamaica(if express service from Pt. Jeff is offered).
I don't think the stretch of the Pt. Jefferson Line between Huntington and Pt. Jefferson goes through farm country. It's been years since I rode that stretch. I might do a trip out that way months from now. The farmland begins well east of Pt. Jefferson. It's more abundant along the Greenport Branch east of Riverhead and along the Montauk Line east of Westhampton.
1-Former Port Jefferson Branch passengers that want faster one-seat ride service have been using Ronkonkoma,
Central Islip, Deer Park and Wyandanch Stations for many years now...The completion of the double track project
along with more frequent service has encouraged more rider "migration" between the two lines.
The Town of Huntington regulates parking and charges fees at the four LIRR stations within their jurisdiction.
They are Huntington, Cold Spring Harbor, Greenlawn and Northport. Many of these lots require a monthly
permit to use - and are much more expensive for those residing outside of the Town of Huntington. This
discourages those from further east on the PJ Branch from driving to Huntington Station to some extent.
2-The opening of East Side Access along with the completion of the Main Line Third Track is slated
to be about one year from now in the Fall of 2022 provided that there is no further delays to either
project. With the opening of both next year expect major changes to LIRR scheduling systemwide.
3-NYS Route 112 - which goes between Port Jefferson Harbor and Patchogue - was once the dividing
line between "suburbia" west and "semi-rural" (and "rural") eastward in the Town of Brookhaven.
NYS 112 passes directly by Medford Station on the Main Line to Greenport.
The eastern half of Brookhaven - and the five East End towns: Riverhead, Southold, Shelter Island,
Southampton and East Hampton - have more open (farm or other) land - and those five East End towns
are much smaller than the five "suburban" towns in western Suffolk County: Brookhaven, Smithtown,
Huntington, Babylon and Islip.
Over time Ronkonkoma Station - especially since completion of the Hicksville-Ronkonkoma Electrification
in January 1988 - has become the ultimate LIRR "magnet station" on Long Island attracting riders from all
directions because of service (on average hourly daily) and the sheer quantity of free parking available.
For that matter Ronkonkoma has the second highest ridership on the LIRR in Suffolk and Nassau Counties.
(Hicksville is #1)...MACTRAXX
EXPRESS TRAIN TO NEW YORK PENN STATION-NO JAMAICA ON THIS TRAIN-PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING TRAIN DOORS