Jamaica (LIRR station)

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Jamaica Station (often referred to simply as "Jamaica") is a major hub of the Long Island Rail Road, in Jamaica, Queens, in New York City. It is the largest transit hub on Long Island and is one of the busiest railroad stations in the New York City area—behind Pennsylvania Station, Grand Central Terminal, and Secaucus Junction—with over 1,000 trains passing through it every day. It has a direct rail connection to John F. Kennedy International Airport via AirTrain JFK. There are also elevator connections to the Archer Avenue Line of the New York City Subway at Sutphin Boulevard-JFK Airport (E J Z ^(1a)), directly below. The area just outside is served by the Q24, Q30, Q31, Q43, Q44, Q54, and Q56 bus routes.

All LIRR services except the Port Washington Branch pass through Jamaica Station. The Main Line westwards leads to Long Island City and Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan, while the Atlantic Branch diverges along Atlantic Avenue to Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn. The Montauk Branch also serves one daily train to/from Long Island City. East of Jamaica, these three lines diverge, with some branch services using the Main Line, some using the Atlantic Branch, and some using the Montauk Branch.

Because of its central location on all but one of the services, it is common for commuters to have to "change at Jamaica", meaning switch from one train to another heading for his or her final destination. "Change at Jamaica" is common lingo among LIRR riders.

The main entrance to the station, where tickets may be purchased and where waiting areas are located, is a 100-year old building that also serves as the offices and headquarters of the Long Island Rail Road Company.

[edit] Expansion

In 2006, the MTA completed major renovations, begun in 2001, to expand and upgrade the station. The renovations make it more modern and efficient, and provide easier access to all eight LIRR tracks. Additionally, the renovations provide an easier link to the New York City subway and AirTrain, and are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The $500 million effort was named "2006 Project of the Year" by the Long Island branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers. [1]

Previous station		Long Island Rail Road		Next station
Kew Gardens toward Penn Station		Main Line (City Terminal Zone)		toward Long Island
Hunterspoint Avenue toward Long Island City
Long Island City Terminus		Montauk Branch (City Terminal Zone)
Boland's Landing (employees only) toward Flatbush Avenue		Atlantic Branch (City Terminal Zone)
toward New York terminals		Main Line (Hempstead Branch) (also Oyster Bay Branch, Port Jefferson Branch, and Ronkonkoma Branch)		Hollis toward Greenport, Hempstead, Oyster Bay, or Port Jefferson
		Montauk Branch (West Hempstead Branch) (also Babylon Branch)		St. Albans toward Montauk or West Hempstead
		Atlantic Branch (Far Rockaway Branch) (also Long Beach Branch)		Locust Manor toward Far Rockaway or Long Beach
		Belmont Park Branch		Belmont Park Terminus

[edit] See also

• Long Island Rail Road
• East Side Access
• Lower Manhattan-Jamaica/JFK Transportation Project

[edit] External links

• MTA Long Island Rail Road
• AirTrain JFK
• LIRR History website
• Jamaica Station (The SubwayNut)
• Maps and aerial photos
  • Hybrid satellite image/street map from WikiMapia

Major intercity railroad stations of New York City & Vicinity v • d • e
Active terminals:	Penn Station (PT&T) - Grand Central (NYC) - Flatbush Avenue (LIRR) - Long Island City (LIRR) - Hoboken (DL&W)
Former terminals:	Communipaw (CNJ) - Exchange Place (PRR) - Pavonia (ERIE) - Weehawken (NYC)
Other stations:	Jamaica (LIRR) - Newark Penn Station (PRR)