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Ronkonkoma (LIRR station)
Encyclopedia
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...
and transportation hub 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...
in Ronkonkoma, New York
Ronkonkoma, New York
Ronkonkoma is a census-designated place on Long Island in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 20,029 at the 2000 census...
. The station is the eastern terminus
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
of the 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...
and the western terminus of the Greenport 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...
.
The station is located on Lakeland Street or Railroad Avenue North across from the intersection of Hawkins Avenue, and has parking facilities and other amenities that extend beyond the central location. Free parking is available in the lots adjacent to the tracks on the north and south side. One parking garage north of the station was built in 1996 on a former freight spur. The station has a total of about 6,100 parking spaces. As of May 2011, 63 trains connecting to 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...
stop at this station every weekday, while an additional nine make connections with stations to the east.
History
Ronkonkoma Station was originally built as Lake Ronkonkoma Station in 1883 as a replacement for the 1843-built Lakeland Station designed to serve both Lakeland, New YorkLakeland, New York
Lakeland is a hamlet in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 2,852 at the 2000 census. The community name is derived from its location next to Onondaga Lake....
and Ronkonkoma, New York
Ronkonkoma, New York
Ronkonkoma is a census-designated place on Long Island in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 20,029 at the 2000 census...
. The station house was burned in 1934 and a temporary rectangular one-story building with a gabled roof was used until September 1937, when the second Ronkonkoma Station was completed.
Since December 28, 1987, it has been the east end of the Main Line electrification but stations east of Ronkonkoma have been modified for future electrification. The 1937 station was used for storage until it was razed in 1994 when part of the parking lot was extended westward. The current station was designed by architect Richard Henry Behr. Ronkonkoma Yard is also located east of the station, in close proximity to the former Holbrook Station
Holbrook (LIRR station)
Holbrook was a station stop along the Greenport Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. It first opened around 1907 and closed in June 1962, although the sheltered shed may have lasted as long as 1970. This station was located between Ronkonkoma and Holtsville Stations on Coates Avenue in Holbrook,...
, which was torn down in 1962, and has taken in commuters from the former Holtsville Station
Holtsville (LIRR station)
Holtsville was a station stop on the Greenport Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. It was located off of Waverly Avenue between Long Island Avenue and Furrows Road in Holtsville, New York.-History:...
since March 16, 1998.
Platforms and tracks
This station has three high-level platforms each 12 cars long. The north one, Platform A, is a 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...
next to Track 1. The central one, Platform B, is an island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
next to both tracks to facilitate cross-platform interchange
Cross-platform interchange
A cross-platform interchange is a type of interchange between different lines in a metro system. The term originates with the London Underground; such layouts exist in other networks but are not commonly so named...
when a Ronkonkoma Branch train is meeting a Greenport train (a.k.a. "The Greenport Scoot"). The south one, Platform C, is a side platform next to Track 2. The Main Line has two tracks here.
Connections
As a major transportation hub, the station also serves Suffolk County Transit bus routes S57, S59, 6A, and 7A. Shuttle buses are also provided to take commuters and travelers to and from Long Island MacArthur AirportLong Island MacArthur Airport
Long Island MacArthur Airport, formerly known as Islip Airport is a public airport located on Long Island, in Ronkonkoma, Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is seven miles northeast of the central business district of Islip hamlet...
, and local taxi services are available as well.
External links
- Unofficial Long Island Railroad History web site
- Ronkonkoma Station (The SubwayNut)
- NYCSUBWAY.org
- Former Lakeland and Hermanville Stations (Arrt's Arrchives)
- Unofficial LIRR Photography Site (lirrpics.com)
- Station House from Google Maps Street View
