Elmont/Belmont Race Track Station

AR's station was once LIRR, and now it has 2 stations under the subway, a northbound only station (the old LIRR stop) and then a longer walk from AR/N Conduit, both local stops. I wish they had tied into the Airtrain somehow but it's the next stop south at Howard Beach. I think pre-pandemic they dealt with that with a bus from Jamaica station to AR, but not sure if that runs anymore.

I also got to give Steve two thumbs up for saving all of that info on his site, thanks for all of the work!

krispy wrote: ↑Mon Nov 29, 2021 9:45 pm AR's station was once LIRR, and now it has 2 stations under the subway, a northbound only station
(the old LIRR stop) and then a longer walk from AR/N Conduit, both local stops.

Aqueduct-North Conduit is actually the elevated LIRR station built in 1940 replacing North Conduit and the
racetrack stops. It has a very long platform (over 1,000' on NB side, over 800' SB), being combined. The north
end of the station was intended to serve the racetrack. The separate NB only racetrack platform was built after
the NYCT takeover in 1956.

Everyone: The June 11, 2022 Belmont Stakes Day and Reduced Hempstead Branch schedules have been posted -
https://new.mta.info/agency/long-island ... timetables
The official NYRA website: www.belmontstakes.com

1-There will be NO service to/from ELMONT-UBS ARENA Station in either direction - which will be CLOSED.
2-There will be NO shuttle buses operating between Queens Village Station to and from Belmont Park.
3-Zone 4 tickets ARE valid to and from Belmont Park Station - special BP tickets are no longer required.

The Hempstead Branch reduced schedule outlines these changes for Saturday June 11:

EASTBOUND - Atlantic Terminal :43; Jamaica :05; Bellerose :17 and all stops to Hempstead :35
Substitute Bus Service to Hollis and Queens Village between 9:05 AM to 8:05 PM from Jamaica
Two Hour service gaps from Atlantic Terminal and Jamaica: 1:43-2:05; 3:43-4:05; 5:43-6:05; 7:43-8:05 PM

WESTBOUND - Hempstead :13 and all stops to Bellerose :31; Queens Village :35; Jamaica :44; Atlantic Terminal :06
Trains stop at Queens Village at :35 - there is NO westbound bus service to Jamaica from QV or Hollis.
Service at Queens Village has two hour gaps in the afternoon/evening - 3:35; 5:35; 7:35; 9:35 and 11:42 PM.

For those that may be unaware $5 City Tickets (prepaid at Ticket Office or TVM) are valid to and from Queens Village Station from Penn Station, Atlantic Terminal and intermediate City Zone One stations. The walk to/from Belmont Park should be around 20-25 minutes and is about one mile... (Springfield Boulevard S to Hempstead Avenue/Turnpike E to the BP grounds/UBS Arena area) Using Queens Village can be an alternative to long waiting times for westbound trains after the Belmont Stakes race remembering that trains from Hempstead stop at QV at 7:35, 9:35 and 11:42 PM only...

The Belmont Stakes crowd may not be as large being that there is no Triple Crown in play this year. The weather forecast as of Thursday evening June 9 is the risk of a shower-high temperatures around 80F. Let's see how the Belmont Stakes 2022 plays out...MACTRAXX

why are they not using the UBS Station? It doesn't make any sense.

GooStats wrote:why are they not using the UBS Station? It doesn't make any sense.

Westbound platform still isn't finished, although they're close, and the Eastbound serves only the Hempstead Branch. Also, the park is trying to funnel various groups into and out of the park in a certain manner and having a crush of people trying to walk though that is inviting trouble. I believe the lot between the station and the racetrack is being used for limo/taxi and VIP's this time. Quicker to use the LIRR Belmont station and for those who don't want to deal with the wait just hoof it over to QVG station. Next year will be much more different, the switches will be powered and controlled, Elmont should be finished and with luck we'll see the third track in business.

How will the new Elmont station, once done, actually help people get to and from Belmont? It's my impression that it's a lot farther away, and that it's main use is for park and ride.

photobug56 wrote:How will the new Elmont station, once done, actually help people get to and from Belmont? It's my impression that it's a lot farther away, and that it's main use is for park and ride.

I walked it today, say about 15 minutes for a middle-aged girth challenged old fart. Was actually a pleasant walk, especially with the Honeysuckle blooming. Now, a hockey fan in the winter with a few too many beers, that may be a challenge. But - if there was NO trains running from the LIRR Belmont station, and the choice of driving, I'd definitely do it. Especially if I'm commuting back toward Huntington or Ronkonkoma.

For whatever reason, they had removed the top layer of pavement on the southbound side of the Cross-Island, and it sucked and was slower than a NYC street ringed with speed cameras. I use this as a reason as to why driving sucks, and how quickly the CIP can go to a parking lot. No beers, paying for parking, and then traffic to and fro. If they (aren management) ran a shuttle bus/van, it would be a total no-brainer, once they are able to have Huntingtons and Ronkys make the stop going east.

I'm assuming that after the 3rd Track is completed, Hunt and Ronk trains will be able to come from Jamaica on Mainline-4, stop at Elmont and then cross to Mainline-2 before reaching Floral Park and at the east end of Fl. Pk. Station, cross to the new Mainline-2 where it begins.

Krispy or anyone in the know; is that a correct assumption?

1, There is a lot of (very low quality) repaving going on now; take off the top inch or so, put on a new top inch of low quality junk that will likely be potholed within months. Side note; all that money that our esteemed gov is giving to Buffalo Bills ownership for a stadium to be open only 8 days per year could have been useful for real road repairs.
2. How far is the Belmont Station from the race track and the new place where the Islanders lose?
3. Yes, the CIP is pretty bad on a good day, but not the worst.

Head-end View wrote: ↑Sat Jun 11, 2022 8:43 pm I'm assuming that after the 3rd Track is completed, Hunt and Ronk trains will be able to come from Jamaica on Mainline-4, stop at Elmont and then cross to Mainline-2 before reaching Floral Park and at the east end of Fl. Pk. Station, cross to the new Mainline-2 where it begins.

Krispy or anyone in the know; is that a correct assumption?

That's the plan! They look nearly done on the westbound side, and everything else is very close, if not done. I'm not sure if there's switches going in at Qns 2/3 that will still allow us to hit old ML2, or if it will occur after the third track completion.

photobug56 wrote:How far is the Belmont Station from the race track and the new place where the Islanders lose?

UBS is in the corner between the Grandstand, Hempstead Tpke and the CIP. So, the walk would be up the western perimeter of the property, or past the LIRR Belmont station (BRT), along the western curve of the track and then across the lot by exit 26D, or what they now call the Emerald lot. From BRT to the lot does have a wide canopy over the walkway, not sure if they plan to continue it past the substation. Again, about 15 minutes for me, not including the walk within UBS, haven't been there yet. I was always too cheap to shell out for parking at the Coliseum, so I always hoofed it from the college, so I'm used to walking to go see the Fishsticks. Depending on the seat, I've spent longer on the helical ramps at the Garden, as I never mastered the hidden staircases there. I had hoped in the past that they could've worked something out with Charles Wang and fixed up the old Barn (thanks Kate good luck filling it up now) But Garden City would've never let them run rail down the old secondary to a new station by the end of the old runway as mentioned in so many plans for the "Hub", so this is actually better IMHO, with 2 rail options, depending on what service they use.

So what's the latest on this?

Everyone - From Gamer (posted in the Third Track Project topic section)

LIRR G.O. 1-23 Effective Thursday October 6, 2022 12:01 AM - Elmont Station
12 car Platform A in service on the north side serving Track ML3
8 car Platform B extended to 12 cars serving Track ML4 on the south side

Elmont Station is now completed and will be open for events at the UBS Arena
and Belmont Park Racetrack as they are scheduled...MACTRAXX

Elmont station is ready to go with full 12 car platforms in service.

New switches are being installed in Queens to provide more flexibility.

As it relates to Belmont, someone with more knowledge would have to chime in. As it stands now, the switches in Belmont are being converted to dual control switches (remotely controlled switches). I haven't been there in a little while.

Belmont could be part of a new interlocking, where each dual control switch is protected by a signal (similar to Speonk Yard).

The other scenario is each dual control switch is connected to a yard switch indicator for facing point moves (similar to Long Beach Yard), and the operator at JCC will let you know you are lined, prior to entering the yard.

I don't know what the current plan is with that.

Is the NYA still serving Belmont with boxcars (they were usually BNSF years ago when I was passing by regularly on the Cross Island Pkwy.) of feed for the resident horses??? Thanks.

Everyone - Stopped at Elmont Station last week during the evening of an event…I walked
the length of both platforms to see the entrances and exits and the overhead bridge which
actually can double as a waiting room…A good first impression…

I noticed that ALL of the Elmont Station platform signs have been changed to read -
Elmont
UBS Arena
The topper line color is the standard LIRR blue instead of Hempstead Branch beige.
Judging by the way that they were fastened the new signs were placed right over the
original to cover them…

During my visit I decided to walk from Elmont Station to the UBS Arena going around
the perimeter of the Arena and back foregoing the shuttle bus which I was able to do
in about 25 minutes - 12 to 15 minutes is an average walking time in one direction.

With the new Elmont service a percentage of UBS Arena patrons are learning that the
LIRR is a good alternative to dealing with Cross Island Parkway and Hempstead Turnpike
traffic thanks to the recent Main Line track changes to attend events…MACTRAXX