Woodside (LIRR station)
Encyclopedia
Woodside is a railroad station on the Long Island Rail Road
's Main Line in the Woodside
neighborhood of Queens
. It is the first station passed by eastward trains from Pennsylvania Station
, and it is the only Queens station that serves both the Port Washington Branch
and the other LIRR branches that begin east of Jamaica Station
(with the exception of the Montauk Branch). East of Woodside the two-track Port Washington Branch turns east from the Main Line, while the four-track Main Line continues south-easterly to Jamaica Station.
Woodside has six tracks and three platforms. The four southernmost tracks passing through the station are the Main Line tracks; the two center tracks are through (express) tracks and do not have platform faces at Woodside. The two northernmost tracks are the Port Washington branch tracks, both of which have platforms. West of the station, the line merges with Amtrak's Hell Gate Bridge
access tracks (part of the Northeast Corridor
) at Harold Interlocking before entering the East River Tunnels
to Manhattan
. The Woodside – 61st Street ( trains) station is above Woodside station, on a high viaduct above Roosevelt Avenue
. The station is ADA
wheelchair accessible, by means of elevator, escalator, and ramps.
on November 15, 1869, and was the first to be built by the F&NS after acquiring the troubled New York and Flushing Railroad. For a short period during the 1870s it served not only the Port Washington Branch but the Woodside Branch, which ran across northwestern Queens, had one station at Junction Boulevard and 35th Avenue, and took commuters either to the former Whitestone Branch
, or to what is today the Corona Yard. Like all other stations on Long Island, it was acquired by the Long Island Railroad in 1876. Though the line was electrified on June 16, 1910, the station was closed in 1914 due to a grade elimination project and razed on November 17, 1915. The existing elevated station was opened on October 17, 1915. When Winfield Station was closed in 1929, Woodside became the station for Main Line and Port Washington Branch trains before the split at Winfield Junction. A restoration project took place in 1999.
next to Track 1 of the Port Washington Branch, is generally used by westbound or Manhattan
-bound trains. The central one, an island platform
between Track 2 of the Port Washington Branch and Track 3 of the Main Line, is generally used by eastbound or outbound Port Washington trains and westbound or Manhattan
-bound Main Line trains. The southern one, a side platform next to Track 4 of the Main Line, is generally used by outbound or eastbound Main Line trains.
There are six tracks. Tracks 1 and 2 of the Main Line, not adjacent to any platform, are used by through trains.
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...
's Main Line in the Woodside
Woodside, Queens
Woodside is a neighborhood in the western portion of the New York City borough of Queens. It is bordered on the south by Maspeth, on the north by Astoria, on the west by Sunnyside and on the east by Elmhurst and Jackson Heights. Some areas are widely residential and very quiet, while others are...
neighborhood of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
. It is the first station passed by eastward trains from Pennsylvania Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
, and it is the only Queens station that serves both the Port Washington Branch
Port Washington Branch
The Port Washington Branch is an electrified two-track rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York...
and the other LIRR branches that begin east of Jamaica Station
Jamaica (LIRR station)
Jamaica is a major hub station of the Long Island Rail Road, and is located in Jamaica, Queens, New York City. It is the largest transit hub on Long Island and is one of the busiest railroad stations in the country with over 200,000 daily passengers...
(with the exception of the Montauk Branch). East of Woodside the two-track Port Washington Branch turns east from the Main Line, while the four-track Main Line continues south-easterly to Jamaica Station.
Woodside has six tracks and three platforms. The four southernmost tracks passing through the station are the Main Line tracks; the two center tracks are through (express) tracks and do not have platform faces at Woodside. The two northernmost tracks are the Port Washington branch tracks, both of which have platforms. West of the station, the line merges with Amtrak's Hell Gate Bridge
Hell Gate Bridge
The Hell Gate Bridge or Hell's Gate Bridge is a steel through arch railroad bridge between Astoria in the borough of Queens and Randall's and Wards Islands in New York City, over a portion of the East River known...
access tracks (part of the Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
) at Harold Interlocking before entering the East River Tunnels
East River Tunnels
The East River Tunnels are 4 single-track railroad tunnels that extend from the eastern end of Pennsylvania Station under 32nd and 33rd Streets in Manhattan and cross the East River to Long Island City in Queens. The tracks carry Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak trains travelling to and from Penn...
to 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...
. The Woodside – 61st Street ( trains) station is above Woodside station, on a high viaduct above Roosevelt Avenue
Roosevelt Avenue
Roosevelt Avenue is a main thoroughfare in the New York City borough of Queens. Roosevelt Avenue begins at 48th Street and Queens Boulevard in the neighborhood of Sunnyside...
. The station is ADA
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
wheelchair accessible, by means of elevator, escalator, and ramps.
History
Woodside Station was originally built by the Flushing and North Side RailroadFlushing and North Side Railroad
The Flushing and North Side Railroad is a former railroad on Long Island built by Conrad Poppenhusen as a replacement for the former New York and Flushing Railroad. The railroad was established in 1868, was merged with the Central Railroad of Long Island in 1874 to form the Flushing, North Shore,...
on November 15, 1869, and was the first to be built by the F&NS after acquiring the troubled New York and Flushing Railroad. For a short period during the 1870s it served not only the Port Washington Branch but the Woodside Branch, which ran across northwestern Queens, had one station at Junction Boulevard and 35th Avenue, and took commuters either to the former Whitestone Branch
Whitestone Branch
The Whitestone Branch was a branch of the Long Island Rail Road, running north and east along the left bank of the Flushing River from the Port Washington Branch near the modern Willets Point, Flushing. It crossed the river on one of the three bridges later torn down for the Van Wyck Expressway,...
, or to what is today the Corona Yard. Like all other stations on Long Island, it was acquired by the Long Island Railroad in 1876. Though the line was electrified on June 16, 1910, the station was closed in 1914 due to a grade elimination project and razed on November 17, 1915. The existing elevated station was opened on October 17, 1915. When Winfield Station was closed in 1929, Woodside became the station for Main Line and Port Washington Branch trains before the split at Winfield Junction. A restoration project took place in 1999.
Platform and tracks
This station has three 12-car long high-level platforms. The northern one, 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 of the Port Washington Branch, 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 central one, 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...
between Track 2 of the Port Washington Branch and Track 3 of the Main Line, is generally used by eastbound or outbound Port Washington trains and 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 Main Line trains. The southern one, a side platform next to Track 4 of the Main Line, is generally used by outbound or eastbound Main Line trains.
There are six tracks. Tracks 1 and 2 of the Main Line, not adjacent to any platform, are used by through trains.
