Kew Gardens (LIRR station)

Kew Gardens
Kew Gardens Station and Lefferts Boulevard Bridge
Station statistics
Address	Austin Street & Lefferts Boulevard Kew Gardens, New York
Coordinates	40.7096°N 73.83066°W / 40.7096; -73.83066
Lines	Main Line (City Terminal Zone)
Connections	MTA Bus: Q10, Q37
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	4
Parking	Yes
Other information
Opened	1879, 1883
Closed	1882, 1909
Rebuilt	September 8, 1910
Electrified	June 23, 1910 750V (DC) third rail
Owned by	Long Island Rail Road
Fare zone	1
Formerly	Maple Grove (1879-1910) Kew (1910-1912)
Traffic
Passengers (2006)	1,631
Services
Preceding station   LIRR   Following station Forest Hills toward Penn Station Main Line (City Terminal Zone) Jamaica toward Long Island

From 82nd Avenue

All the shops to the right of the pizzeria are on the Lefferts Boulevard bridge over the station

Kew Gardens is a 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.

History

The former Maple Grove Station, 18 years before the LIRR realignment project

Kew Gardens station originally opened in May 1879 (although some claim it was opened on December 6, 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, and it was this station's parking lot that was used by Genovese prior to the murder.

Hopedale Station

West of the original Maple Grove station was a station known as Hopedale. It was built in either October or November 1875 somewhere along Union Turnpike. However due to the proposed construction of a second track, and its close proximity to Maple Grove Station, it was closed on April 28, 1884, relocated, and converted into a private residence.

Platforms and tracks

This station has two high-level side platforms 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.

External links

• Official LIRR station information page for Kew Gardens
• Station timetable for Kew Gardens
• Kew Gardens Station (The SubwayNut)
• A Picture History of Kew Gardens, New York
• Kew Gardens Station (www.oldkewgardens.com)
• Kew Gardens Station; July 18, 2001 (RailPictures.net)
• Station House from Google Maps Street View