Broad Channel (IND Rockaway Line)

Broad Channel
New York City Subway rapid transit station
Station statistics
Address Noel Road & West Road
Broad Channel, NY 11693
Borough Queens
Locale Broad Channel
Division B (IND, formerly LIRR Rockaway Beach Branch)
Line IND Rockaway Line
Services       A  (all times)
      S  (all times)
Connection
Structure At-grade
Platforms 2 side platforms
Tracks 2
Other information
Opened 1880; 131 years ago (1880) (LIRR station)[1]
Closed 1950 (LIRR station)
Rebuilt June 28, 1956; 55 years ago (June 28, 1956) (as a Subway station)
Traffic
Passengers (2010) 92,523[2]  0.6%
Rank 419 out of 422
Station succession
Next north Howard Beach – JFK Airport: A 
(Terminal): S 
Next south Beach 67th Street (Far Rockaway): A 
Beach 90th Street (Rockaway Park): A  S 

Broad Channel is a station on the IND Rockaway Line of the New York City Subway. Located at Noel Road and West Road in the Broad Channel neighborhood of the borough of Queens, it is served by the A train and the Rockaway Park Shuttle at all times, the latter of which terminates here.

Contents

History and Description

The station originally opened in 1880 as a New York, Woodhaven and Rockaway Railroad station (although some sources claim it opened in June 1881), that was acquired by the Long Island Rail Road and became a station on the Rockaway Beach Branch. As a Long Island Rail Road station it served as one of two junctions between the Far Rockaway and Rockaway Beach Branches. The other junction was at Hammels Station, although it was originally a junction for the Far Rockaway Branch and the Ocean Electric Railway. Wooden shelter sheds were added to the station in 1921 and 1923. A fire on the trestle between this station and another one known as The Raunt forced the closure of both stations on May 23, 1950, as well as the entire Jamaica Bay trestle. By October 3, 1955, the entire Rockaway Beach Branch south of Ozone Park, and all of the Far Rockaway Branch west of Far Rockaway was purchased by the New York City Transit Authority, who reopened Broad Channel Station to subway service on June 28, 1956.[3]

This station has two tracks and two side platforms, with a glass-enclosed crossover containing the waiting area and fare control. Entrance/exit is on the southbound side only, requiring northbound passengers to cross over.

Just to the north, the Rockaway Line gains two extra non-revenue tracks straddling the two revenue tracks; the 2 mile long western track is used as a test track, while the eastern track is used to relay shuttle trains. The eastern track is long enough for one full-length train and ends at a bumper block. Continuing north, the Rockaway Line crosses Jamaica Bay before reaching Howard Beach; the distance between the two stations is the longest between any two in the New York City Subway system. To the south, the Rockaway Line continues to the Rockaway peninsula, where it splits at Hammel's Wye to allow service to both Far Rockaway – Mott Avenue and Rockaway Park – Beach 116th Street.

As Broad Channel is a small island with fewer than 3,000 residents, the station has the fourth-lowest ridership in the subway system as of 2010.[2] However, it is the only transfer point for passengers to access the Rockaway Park Shuttle, from the A Train, and most riders use it in this capacity.

Nearby points of interest

References

  1. ^ Long Island Rail Road History Website — The NY, Woodhaven and Rockaway RR
  2. ^ a b "Facts and Figures: 2010 Annual Subway Ridership". New York City Metropolitan Transportation Authority. http://mta.info/nyct/facts/ridership/ridership_sub_annual.htm. Retrieved 2011-05-18. 
  3. ^ LIRR Station History (TrainsAreFun.com)

External links

Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Broad_Channel_(IND_Rockaway_Line) Broad Channel (IND Rockaway Line)] at Wikimedia Commons
    Former services    
Preceding station   LIRR   Following station
Rockaway Beach Branch