Kew Gardens (LIRR station)
Encyclopedia
Kew Gardens is a railroad station on the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road
in Kew Gardens, Queens
. The station is located at Austin Street and Lefferts Boulevard. One of Kew Garden station's unique features is the 119th Street(Lefferts Boulevard) Bridge which has one story commercial buildings on both sides for local businesses.
The Main Line has four tracks; the two middle tracks not next to either platform, are used by express trains.
Kew Gardens Station originally opened in May 1879 as Maple Grove, a flag stop for Maple Grove Cemetery
. The station was closed in 1882, reopened in 1883, and removed in 1909 as part of a track realignment project. The new Kew Station was moved approximately 600 feet south alongside and perpendicular to the tracks for use as a real estate office of developers of Kew on September 8, 1910. The former station was razed a short time later, and the existing station was renamed Kew Gardens in 1912.
The Kew Gardens station has the unfortunate distinction of being the site of the worst accident in Long Island Rail Road history, as well as the worst in New York state history. On November 22, 1950, a collision between two Long Island Rail Road commuter trains
killed 79 people and injured hundreds. This occurred nine months after a collision at Rockville Centre Station
on February 17, 1950 that resulted in the deaths of 32 people, and serious injury of 158 people. A far more notorious historical aspect is the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese
, which occurred near this station.
s each four cars long; generally, the first four cars of a train in either direction will receive and discharge passengers at this station. The north platform next to Track 3 is generally used by westbound or Manhattan
-bound trains. The south platform next to Track 4 is generally used by eastbound or outbound trains. Most LIRR trains that pass through the station do not stop.
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...
in Kew Gardens, Queens
Kew Gardens, Queens
Kew Gardens is a triangular-shaped neighborhood in central Queens bounded to the north by the Jackie Robinson Parkway , to the east by Van Wyck Expressway and 131st Street, to the south by Hillside Avenue, and to the west by Park Lane, Abingdon Road and 118th Street...
. The station is located at Austin Street and Lefferts Boulevard. One of Kew Garden station's unique features is the 119th Street(Lefferts Boulevard) Bridge which has one story commercial buildings on both sides for local businesses.
The Main Line has four tracks; the two middle tracks not next to either platform, are used by express trains.
History
Maple Grove Cemetery (Kew Gardens, New York)
Maple Grove Cemetery is a historic cemetery at 83-15 Kew Gardens Road in Kew Gardens, Queens, New York, New York. It was established in 1875 and consists of two sections; Monumental Park and Memorial Park...
. The station was closed in 1882, reopened in 1883, and removed in 1909 as part of a track realignment project. The new Kew Station was moved approximately 600 feet south alongside and perpendicular to the tracks for use as a real estate office of developers of Kew on September 8, 1910. The former station was razed a short time later, and the existing station was renamed Kew Gardens in 1912.
The Kew Gardens station has the unfortunate distinction of being the site of the worst accident in Long Island Rail Road history, as well as the worst in New York state history. On November 22, 1950, a collision between two Long Island Rail Road commuter trains
Kew Gardens train crash
The Kew Gardens train crash is the worst railway accident of Long Island Rail Road history, and one of the worst in New York State history. It happened during the evening rush hour of November 22, 1950 between Kew Gardens and Jamaica stations in New York City and killed 78 people...
killed 79 people and injured hundreds. This occurred nine months after a collision at Rockville Centre Station
Rockville Centre (LIRR station)
Rockville Centre is a station along the Babylon Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. It is officially at North Village Avenue and Front Street north of Sunrise Highway in Rockville Centre, New York, but the station property spreads west to North Center Avenue and east to North Park Avenue...
on February 17, 1950 that resulted in the deaths of 32 people, and serious injury of 158 people. A far more notorious historical aspect is the 1964 murder of Kitty Genovese
Kitty Genovese
Catherine Susan "Kitty" Genovese , was a New York City woman who was stabbed to death near her home in the Kew Gardens section of Queens, New York on March 13, 1964....
, which occurred near this station.
Platforms and tracks
This station has 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 four cars long; generally, the first four cars of a train in either direction will receive and discharge passengers at this station. The north platform next to Track 3 is generally used by westbound or Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
-bound trains. The south platform next to Track 4 is generally used by eastbound or outbound trains. Most LIRR trains that pass through the station do not stop.