IND Rockaway Line

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IND Rockaway Line
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IND Fulton Street Line
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Aqueduct Racetrack
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Aqueduct–North Conduit Avenue
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Howard Beach–JFK Airport
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Broad Channel
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Rockaway Park Branch
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Beach 67th Street
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Beach 60th Street
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Beach 44th Street
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Beach 36th Street
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Beach 25th Street
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Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue
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Beach 90th Street
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Beach 98th Street
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Beach 105th Street
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Rockaway Park Yard
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Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street

The IND Rockaway Line is a rapid transit line of the IND Division of the New York City Subway. It branches off of the IND Fulton Street Line at Rockaway Boulevard, extending over the Jamaica Bay, into the Rockaways.

[edit] History

The line dates back to 1892, when it first saw service by the Long Island Rail Road. In the late 1890s, the Brooklyn Elevated Railway (later BRT) got permission to use Brooklyn el trains on the line for beach access. The city soon began eyeing the line as popularity soared.

In 1950 a serious track fire destroyed the trestle across Jamaica Bay, and as a result the line was deemed useless. Instead of repairing it, the LIRR decided to abandon the line in favor of their "land route" to Far Rockaway via Nassau County. The city bought the line for $8.5 million and spent an additional $47.5 million to convert it for subway use.

The line was incorporated into the Independent Subway System, and all of the stations except Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue, opened on June 28, 1956, with the Far Rockaway station opening January 16, 1958.

The line charged a double fare which entailed the deposit of two tokens at the entry point and one token at the exit point. The unpopular double fare was abolished in 1975. In the late 1990s, outer tracks were installed to the north of Broad channel. The track to the west of the original tracks extends for a significant distance, and is used for testing of equipment. The track to the east of the original tracks is used for reversing trains on the Rockaway Park shuttle, and is significantly shorter then the test track. This track allows the shuttle to turn around significantly faster then it had been able to do before, when it was forced to relay at Howard Beach.

[edit] Station listing

Station service legend
Stops all times Stops all times
Stops rush hours in peak direction only Stops rush hours in the peak direction only
Time period details
Handicapped/disabled access Station Services Opened Transfers and notes
splits from the IND Fulton Street Line (A all times)
Aqueduct Racetrack A all times June 28, 1956 (subway) Service northbound, and only when racetrack is open
Aqueduct–North Conduit Avenue A all times June 28, 1956 (subway)
Handicapped/disabled access Howard Beach–JFK Airport A all times June 28, 1956 (subway) Connection to AirTrain JFK
Broad Channel A all times S all times June 28, 1956 (subway)
 
Broad Channel to Far Rockaway (Far Rockaway Branch)
Beach 67th Street A all times June 28, 1956 (subway)
Beach 60th Street A all times June 28, 1956 (subway)
Beach 44th Street A all times June 28, 1956 (subway)
Beach 36th Street A all times June 28, 1956 (subway)
Beach 25th Street A all times June 28, 1956 (subway)
Far Rockaway–Mott Avenue A all times January 16, 1958 (subway) Connection to Long Island Rail Road at Far Rockaway
 
Broad Channel to Rockaway Park (Rockaway Park Branch)
Beach 90th Street A rush hours, peak direction S all times June 28, 1956 (subway)
Beach 98th Street A rush hours, peak direction S all times June 28, 1956 (subway)
Beach 105th Street A rush hours, peak direction S all times June 28, 1956 (subway)
Handicapped/disabled access Rockaway Park–Beach 116th Street A rush hours, peak direction S all times June 28, 1956 (subway)