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Bethpage (LIRR station)
Encyclopedia
Bethpage Station is a station
along the Main Line
of the Long Island Rail Road
. It is located at Stewart Avenue and Jackson Avenue, in Bethpage, New York
, and serves Ronkonkoma Branch
trains. Trains that travel along the Central Branch
also use these tracks, but none stop here.
Long Island Rail Road
(LIRR) tracks were completed on the present line in 1841.
At first trains did not stop here, Bethpage appearing only as a notation ("late Bethpage") associated with the Farmingdale
station to the east.
By 1854, the LIRR stopped at a local station called Jerusalem Station.
A local post office opened January 29, 1857, with the name Jerusalem Station.
LIRR schedules also referred to the station as simply Jerusalem.
In 1867, the residents voted to change the name of the local post office to Central Park, and both that and Jerusalem appeared on LIRR schedules until 1936. The station and the post office were renamed Bethpage on October 1, 1936. In 1959, the station burned down and was replaced. Service was electrified in 1987.
Two nearby stations also had Bethpage in their name:
From 1873 until 1876, the Central Railroad of Long Island had a regularly scheduled stop also named Central Park near Stewart Avenue and Motor Lane in Plainedge
, approximately 0.75 miles south of the present station.
Service was continued by the LIRR at that location until about 1924.
s, each the length of 12 cars. The north platform, next to Track 1, is generally used by westbound or New York City
-bound trains. The south platform, next to Track 2, is generally used by eastbound trains.
Train station
A train station, also called a railroad station or railway station and often shortened to just station,"Station" is commonly understood to mean "train station" unless otherwise qualified. This is evident from dictionary entries e.g...
along the Main Line
Main Line (Long Island Rail Road)
The Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. It begins in Long Island City and runs along the middle of Long Island about 95 miles to Greenport...
of the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
. It is located at Stewart Avenue and Jackson Avenue, in Bethpage, New York
Bethpage, New York
Bethpage is a hamlet located on Long Island within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, United States, as well as a census-designated place with borders slightly different from those of the hamlet...
, and serves Ronkonkoma Branch
Ronkonkoma Branch
The Ronkonkoma Branch is a rail service operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. On LIRR maps and printed schedules, "Ronkonkoma Branch" refers to trains running along the railroad's Main Line from Hicksville east to the line's terminus at Greenport.The section of the...
trains. Trains that travel along the Central Branch
Central Branch (Long Island Rail Road)
The Central Branch is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York, extending from just east of Bethpage to just west of Babylon. It was built in 1873 as part of the Babylon Extension of the Central Railroad of Long Island , which was owned by...
also use these tracks, but none stop here.
Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
(LIRR) tracks were completed on the present line in 1841.
At first trains did not stop here, Bethpage appearing only as a notation ("late Bethpage") associated with the Farmingdale
Farmingdale (LIRR station)
The Farmingdale Railroad Station is a historic railroad station along the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road. It is officially located off Secatogue Avenue, on Front Street and Atlantic Avenue, in Farmingdale, New York, however, the actual station is on Eastern Parkway...
station to the east.
By 1854, the LIRR stopped at a local station called Jerusalem Station.
A local post office opened January 29, 1857, with the name Jerusalem Station.
LIRR schedules also referred to the station as simply Jerusalem.
In 1867, the residents voted to change the name of the local post office to Central Park, and both that and Jerusalem appeared on LIRR schedules until 1936. The station and the post office were renamed Bethpage on October 1, 1936. In 1959, the station burned down and was replaced. Service was electrified in 1987.
Two nearby stations also had Bethpage in their name:
- Bethpage Junction was a connection to the east of the present station where the LIRR crossed with the Central Railroad of Long IslandCentral Railroad of Long IslandCentral Railroad of Long Island is a former railroad on Long Island built by Alexander Turney Stewart, who was also the founder of Garden City. The railroad was established in 1871, was merged with the Flushing and North Side Railroad in 1874 to form the Flushing, North Shore, and Central Railroad,...
, which was built in 1873. A platform was built to enable passengers to transfer. This is the location where the present Central Branch splits from the Main Line at Beth Interlocking one mile southeast of the Bethpage station on the way to BabylonBabylon (LIRR station)Babylon is a station on the Long Island Rail Road in the village of Babylon, New York at Railroad Avenue west of Deer Park Avenue. It is on the Montauk Branch, and is the eastern terminus of the Babylon Branch service...
station and the Montauk BranchMontauk BranchThe Montauk Branch is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch runs the length of Long Island, 115 miles from Long Island City on the west to Montauk on the east...
. The LIRR built the B-Tower at Beth Interlocking in 1925 to replace hand-operated switching between the tracks. - Bethpage was also the name of the northern terminus of the former Bethpage BranchBethpage BranchThe Bethpage Branch was a branch of the Long Island Rail Road , running from the present-day split between the Ronkonkoma Branch and Central Branch north about 1¾ miles to present-day Old Bethpage, New York.This branch was originally built by the Central Railroad of Long Island in...
from Bethpage Junction to the former Bethpage Brickworks in the community now called Old BethpageOld Bethpage, New YorkOld Bethpage is a hamlet located on Long Island in the Town of Oyster Bay, Nassau County, New York, USA. The population of the CDP was 5,523 at the 2010 census.It is served by the Old Bethpage Post Office, ZIP code 11804....
, but which was called Bethpage until 1936.
From 1873 until 1876, the Central Railroad of Long Island had a regularly scheduled stop also named Central Park near Stewart Avenue and Motor Lane in Plainedge
Plainedge, New York
Plainedge is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 8,817 at the 2010 census.Plainedge is a census-designated place located in the Town of Oyster Bay, residents are served by the Bethpage , Massapequa , and Seaford Post Offices, with a small number of residents...
, approximately 0.75 miles south of the present station.
Service was continued by the LIRR at that location until about 1924.
Platforms and tracks
There are 2 tracks at this station, with two high-level side platformSide platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s, each the length of 12 cars. The north platform, next to Track 1, is generally used by westbound or New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
-bound trains. The south platform, next to Track 2, is generally used by eastbound trains.
External links
- Unofficial LIRR History Website
- 1873 map showing railways on Long Island
- Bethpage Junction History (Arrt's Arrchives)
- Trains Are Fun
- NYCSubways.org
- Station from Stewart Avenue from Google Maps Street View
