Hempstead, New York, USA

Table of Contents

Overview - Hempstead

Located in Central Nassau County, Hempstead is the largest town by population in Nassau County, New York, part of the New York Metropolitan Area. If it were to be incorporated as a city, it would be the second largest city in New York State by population after New York City. It has approximately 760,000 inhabitants as of 2010.

Central Nassau's rapid transit network consists of ten commuter rail services that provide service to New York City.

Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)

Opened 1834, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is a commuter and regional railway connecting New York City with Nassau and Suffolk counties to the east on Long Island. It consists of multiple branches and lines, with most trains terminating in Penn Station in New York City. All services are operated by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of New York. The services below do not include stations on the city terminal lines in their station counts.

Only frequent commuter services are shown here, so stations past Speonk on the Montauk branch and stations on the Greenport Branch (Ronkonkoma Branch east of Ronkonkoma) are not shown. Strip maps show service patterns rather than physical lines. Note that some lines located within New York City are located here for simplicity.

LIRR Main Line

The LIRR Main Line (City Terminal Zone) is a commuter rail line with 8 stations on an East-West alignment, running from Penn Station, Long Island City, and Grand Central in the west to Jamaica in the east. Nearly all services on the railway serve this section, with most trains terminating at Penn Station or Grand Central.

The physical trackage of the LIRR Main Line (City Terminal Zone) was opened in 1837 and the last extension was the opening of the reverse branch to Grand Central Terminal in January 2023.

Atlantic Branch

The LIRR Atlantic Branch (City Terminal Zone) is a commuter rail line with 4 stations on a East-West alignment, running from Atlantic Terminal in the west to Jamaica in the east.

The physical trackage of the LIRR Atlantic Branch (City Terminal Zone) was opened in 1836 and is currently undergoing construction to turn the line into a high speed shuttle.

Babylon Branch

The LIRR Babylon Branch is a commuter rail service with 14 stations on an East-West alignment, running from Lynbrook in the west to Babylon in the east. Babylon Branch services typically terminate at Babylon station, with trains going beyond labelled as Montauk Branch trains. The majority of trains to St. Albans station on the West Hempstead branch are provided by Babylon Branch trains, though the station is not on Babylon Branch timetables.

The physical trackage of the LIRR Babylon Branch was opened in 1867.

Far Rockaway Branch

The LIRR Far Rockaway Branch is a commuter rail service with 7 stations on a North-South alignment, running from Valley Stream in the north to Far Rockaway in the south.

The physical trackage of the LIRR Far Rockaway Branch was opened in 1869. Stations beyond Far Rockaway were transferred to the IND Rockaway Line in 1955.

Long Beach Branch

The LIRR Long Beach Branch is a commuter rail service with 6 stations on a North-South alignment, running from Lynbrook in the north to Long Beach in the south.

The physical trackage of the LIRR Long Beach Branch was opened in 1880.

Hempstead Branch

The LIRR Hempstead Branch is a commuter rail service with 10 stations on an East-West alignment, running from Hollis in the west to Hempstead in the east.

The physical trackage of the LIRR Hempstead Branch was opened in 1873. The newest expansion was the opening of Elmont (both directions) in October 2022.

Montauk Branch

The LIRR Montauk Branch is a commuter and regional rail service with 16 stations on an East-West alignment, running from Bay Shore in the west to Patchogue, Speonk, and Montauk in the east. The branch is only served by diesel trains as the line beyond Babylon is not electrified. Most trains run via the Central Branch to the main line rather than running via the physical Montauk Branch.

Oyster Bay Branch

The LIRR Oyster Bay Branch is a commuter rail service with 10 stations on an East-West alignment, running from Mineola in the west to Oyster Bay in the east. It is only electrified as far as East Williston.

The physical trackage of the LIRR Oyster Bay Branch was last extended in 1889.

Port Jefferson Branch

The LIRR Port Jefferson Branch is a commuter rail service with 10 stations on an East-West alignment, running from Hicksville in the west to Huntington and Port Jefferson in the east. It is only electrified as far as Huntington.

The physical trackage of the LIRR Port Jefferson Branch was last extended in 1873.

Port Washington Branch

The LIRR Port Washington Branch is a commuter rail service with 13 stations on an East-West alignment, running from Woodside in the west to Port Washington in the east.

The physical trackage of the LIRR Port Washington Branch was opened in 1854. The last major expansion to the line was the opening of the limited service Mets - Willets Point station in 1939.

Ronkonkoma Branch

The LIRR Ronkonkoma Branch is a commuter rail service with 13 stations on an East-West alignment, running from Hicksville in the west to Ronkonkoma and Greenport in the east. The unelectrified portion east of Ronkonkoma is also known as the Greenport Branch.

The physical trackage of the LIRR Ronkonkoma Branch was last extended in 1844.

West Hempstead Branch

The LIRR West Hempstead Branch is a commuter rail service with 5 stations on an East-West alignment, running from Valley Stream in the west to West Hempstead in the east. The majority of trains to St. Albans station on the West Hempstead branch are provided by Babylon Branch trains.

The physical trackage of the LIRR West Hempstead Branch was opened in 1893.

References & Helpful Links

Long Island Rail Road at Wikipedia

Official Website for Long Island Rail Road: Metropolitan Transit Authority

Maps

All Official Maps - MTA [Last Accessed Jan 28, 2023]

Official System Map - Long Island Rail Road [Last Accessed Jan 28, 2023]

Other Sources

Asset Notes

Route colors for the the Long Island Rail Road are the official route colors in use as of May 2019 as stated on MTA Line Colors.

LIRR text color taken from official MTA logo.