IND Rockaway Line

This article is about the New York City Subway line. For the former Long Island Rail Road branch to the Rockaways from the north (Rego Park and Glendale), see Rockaway Beach Branch.

IND Rockaway Line The A, <A> trains and Rockaway Park Shuttle serve the IND Rockaway Line. Overview Type Rapid transit System New York City Subway Termini Aqueduct Racetrack Rockaway Park – Beach 116th Street (Rockaway Park Branch) Far Rockaway – Mott Avenue (Far Rockaway Branch) Stations 14 Operation Opened 1956-1958 Owner City of New York Operator(s) New York City Transit Authority Character Elevated Technical No. of tracks 2-4 Track gauge 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) Electrification Direct Current traction IND Rockaway Line Legend IND Fulton Street Line Aqueduct Racetrack Aqueduct – North Conduit Avenue Howard Beach – JFK Airport North Channel Swing Bridge (fixed) Broad Channel Beach Channel Drawbridge Hammels Wye Beach 67th Street Beach 60th Street Beach 44th Street Beach 36th Street Beach 25th Street Far Rockaway – Mott Avenue Far Rockaway Branch Beach 90th Street Beach 98th Street Beach 105th Street Rockaway Park Yard Rockaway Park – Beach 116th Street Rockaway Park Branch

The IND Rockaway Line is a rapid transit line of the IND Division of the New York City Subway, operating in Queens. It branches from the IND Fulton Street Line at Rockaway Boulevard, extending over the Jamaica Bay, into the Rockaways. The A train serves the line on the Far Rockaway – Mott Avenue branch and north of Hammels Wye. The Rockaway Park Shuttle runs between Broad Channel and Rockaway Park – Beach 116th Street. Five rush hour A trains, designated as in the timetable, provide service between Rockaway Park and Manhattan in the peak direction.

History

train made up of R32 cars turns from Rockaway Line towards Fulton Line.

The line dates back to 1892, when it first saw service by the Long Island Rail Road. In the late 1890s, the Brooklyn Elevated Railway (later BRT) got permission to use Brooklyn el trains on the line for beach access. The city soon began eying the line as popularity soared. Additionally the Ocean Electric Railway used part of it as a connection between the Far Rockaway and Rockaway Beach Branches.

In 1950 a serious track fire between The Raunt and Broad Channel Stations destroyed the trestle across Jamaica Bay, and as a result the line was deemed useless. Instead of repairing it, the LIRR decided to abandon the line in favor of their "land route" to Far Rockaway via Nassau County. The city bought the line for $8.5 million and spent an additional $47.5 million to convert it for subway use, something they were planning to do as far back as the late 1920s.

The line was incorporated into the Independent Subway System and connected to the IND Fulton Street Line. All of the stations opened on June 28, 1956 except Far Rockaway – Mott Avenue, which opened on January 16, 1958. The crossing across Jamaica Bay between Howard Beach – JFK Airport and Broad Channel is the longest distance between any two stations in the system.

The line charged a double fare south of Howard Beach which entailed the deposit of two tokens for those entering along the line or one token on exit for those arriving from other parts of the system. The unpopular double fare was abolished in 1975.

A significant service improvement on the Rockaway Line took effect in 1993, when direct late-night service between Far Rockaway (but not Rockaway Park) and Brooklyn and Manhattan began; previously, only shuttle service was provided during these hours, with a transfer at Euclid Avenue (the Rockaway Park branch remains a shuttle during late nights, with a transfer at Broad Channel).

Washed out track support after Hurricane Sandy

In the late 1990s, outer tracks were installed to the north of Broad Channel. The track to the west of the original tracks extends slightly less than two miles, and is used for testing of equipment. The track to the east of the original tracks is used for reversing trains on the Rockaway Park shuttle, and is approximately as long as a standard full length train. This track allows the shuttle to turn around significantly faster than it had been able to do before, when it was forced to relay at Howard Beach – JFK Airport or Euclid Avenue.

The segment of the line between Howard Beach and the Rockaway Peninsula suffered serious damage during Hurricane Sandy and will be out of service for several months. On November 20, 2012, a free H shuttle train began service between Far Rockaway and Beach 90th Street.

Station listing

Station service legend
	Stops all times
	Stops rush hours in the peak direction only
Time period details

	Station	Services	Opened	Transfers and notes
splits from the IND Fulton Street Line (A )
	Aqueduct Racetrack	A  (Northbound only)	June 28, 1956 (subway)	Single side platform for northbound service only; trains stop only when racetrack is open
	Aqueduct – North Conduit Avenue	A	June 28, 1956 (subway)
	Howard Beach – JFK Airport	A	June 28, 1956 (subway)	Connection to AirTrain JFK
	Broad Channel	A  S	June 28, 1956 (subway)
Hammels Wye splits to Far Rockaway Branch (A ) & Rockaway Park Branch (A  S ) with a connecting track between the two branches (No Regular Service)
Far Rockaway Branch
	Beach 67th Street	A	June 28, 1956 (subway)
	Beach 60th Street	A	June 28, 1956 (subway)
	Beach 44th Street	A	June 28, 1956 (subway)
	Beach 36th Street	A	June 28, 1956 (subway)
	Beach 25th Street	A	June 28, 1956 (subway)
	Far Rockaway – Mott Avenue	A	January 16, 1958 (subway)	Connection to Long Island Rail Road at Far Rockaway
Rockaway Park Branch
	Beach 90th Street	A  S	June 28, 1956 (subway)
	Beach 98th Street	A  S	June 28, 1956 (subway)
	Beach 105th Street	A  S	June 28, 1956 (subway)
	Rockaway Park – Beach 116th Street	A  S	June 28, 1956 (subway)

External links

• IND Rockaway Line (NYC Subway.org)