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Westbury station (LIRR)

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Coordinates: 40°45′12″N 73°35′11″W / 40.753404°N 73.586273°W / 40.753404; -73.586273
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This article is about the station in New York, United States. For the station in Wiltshire, England, see Westbury railway station.
Westbury
Westbury station, as seen in 2023
General information
LocationUnion Avenue & Post Avenue
Westbury, NY
Coordinates40°45′12″N 73°35′11″W / 40.753404°N 73.586273°W / 40.753404; -73.586273
Owned byLong Island Rail Road
Line(s)Main Line
Distance21.4 mi (34.4 km) from Long Island City[1]
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks3
ConnectionsLocal Transit Nassau Inter-County Express: n22, n35
Construction
ParkingYes
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone7
History
Opened1837; 188 years ago (1837)
Rebuilt1883; 142 years ago (1883),
1914; 111 years ago (1914),
1972; 53 years ago (1972),
c. 2001–2005; 20 years ago (2005)
ElectrifiedOctober 19, 1970; 54 years ago (1970-10-19)
750 V (DC) third rail
Passengers
20063,903[2]
Services
Preceding station Long Island Rail Road Following station
Carle Place
toward Penn Station, Grand Central or Long Island City
 Port Jefferson Branch Hicksville
toward Huntington or Port Jefferson
     Ronkonkoma Branch does not stop here
     Montauk Branch does not stop here
Former services
Preceding station Long Island
Rail Road 		Following station
Carle Place
toward Long Island City or Penn Station
 Main Line Hicksville
toward Greenport
Location
Map

Westbury is a station on the Long Island Rail Road's Main Line located at Union and Post Avenues in Westbury, New York. All trains for the Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma Branches and some Montauk Branch trains run through the station, although typically, only Port Jefferson Branch trains stop. It is 23.4 miles (37.7 km) east of Pennsylvania Station. The station is fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and it has two side platforms and three tracks.

History

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The original Westbury station was the J.P. Kelsey General Store

The Westbury station was built at some point in March 1837, with the opening of the Long Island Rail Road to Hicksville. The station was closed between June and September of the same year, briefly replaced by the nearby Carle Place station.[3] Throughout much of the mid-19th Century, the J.P. Kelsey Branch Store served as the station's depot.[4] The second station was built between April and June 1883. The third station was built in 1914.[4][5]

The station was electrified in October 1970, along with the rest of the Port Jefferson Branch between the Mineola and Huntington Stations; the electrification allowed for direct service between Westbury and Pennsylvania Station to the west – as well as Hicksville & Huntington to the east.[6] It was extensively remodeled around 1972, and it underwent another major remodeling project in the early 21st century, between 2001 and 2005.[5]

On February 26, 2019, a local eastbound train to Hicksville collided with a truck at the School Street crossing just east of the station as it was accelerating out of the station. A few seconds after that collision, a westbound Ronkonkoma Branch express train headed for Penn Station collided with the already-slammed truck at the crossing and derailed past it, slamming into the eastern end of the westbound platform. The collision caused extensive damage to both the westbound platform (easternmost two car lengths) and M7 train car #7425, killed the three occupants of the truck, and required the replacement of multiple power poles.[7] The crossing was eliminated as part of the Third Track Project between May and November 2020, and was replaced with an underpass.[8]

Post Avenue Bridge replacement

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LIRR construction workers replacing the Post Avenue bridge next to the station in October 2017.

The station is located next to a bridge over Post Avenue that had an 11-foot-10-inch (3.61 m) clearance that was installed during the 1914 rebuild. The bridge was hit by between five and nine high trucks per year between 2010 and 2016, causing numerous train delays in both directions. In October 2017, the LIRR replaced the old bridge with a new bridge. Despite the fact that the previous bridge was built 103 years prior, it was still considered to be in good condition. However, the bridge had to be replaced in preparation for the LIRR third track project; the new span had a 14-foot (4.3 m) clearance and could accommodate a total of three tracks.[9]

Station enhancements

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Also as part of the third track project, the Westbury station was upgraded to accommodate full-length 12-car trains. Platform A was replaced and Platform B was relocated. Canopies, benches, signage, and security cameras were installed. The station, which is already compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, saw further accessibility improvements, namely the installation of new elevators and ramps along with a new overpass. Amenities such as Wi-Fi, USB charging stations, artwork, and digital information displays were included in the renovation.[10] The electrical substation at Westbury station was replaced to accommodate the third track,[11] and a parking garage was erected on the north side of the station.[12][13][14][15] The Village of Westbury has also sought to redevelop the land south of the station as a transit-oriented development.[13][14][16][17]

Station layout

[edit]

This station has two high-level side platforms, each 12 cars long. During rush hours, trains will stop at both platforms in the peak direction. Most Ronkonkoma Branch trains, some Port Jefferson Branch trains, and all Montauk Branch trains pass through the station without stopping.

M Mezzanine Crossover between platforms
P
Platform level 		Platform A, side platform Disabled access
Track 3 ←      Port Jefferson Branch toward Grand Central Madison, Long Island City, or Penn Station (Carle Place)
←           Montauk Branch, Ronkonkoma Branch do not stop here
Track 1 ← Express Track →
Track 2           Montauk Branch, Ronkonkoma Branch do not stop here →
     Port Jefferson Branch toward Huntington or Port Jefferson (Hicksville) →
Platform B, side platform Disabled access
G
Ground level 		Exit/entrance, parking, buses

References

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  1. ^ Long Island Rail Road (May 14, 2012). "TIMETABLE No. 4" (PDF). p. III. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  2. ^ Average weekday, 2006 LIRR Origin and Destination Study
  3. ^ "CARLE PLACE". arrts-arrchives.com. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  4. ^ a b The Long Island Rail Road: The age of expansion, 1863-1880 Vincent Seyfried; Page 188
  5. ^ a b LIRR station History (TrainsAreFun.com)
  6. ^ Bamberger, Werner (October 20, 1970). "Change at Jamaica Is Only a Memory For 12,000 Riders". The New York Times. p. 88. Retrieved September 17, 2009.
  7. ^ "Witness: Car in train collision was involved in previous crash". News 12 Long Island. February 26, 2019. Archived from the original on February 27, 2019.
  8. ^ "Dangerous Long Island Grade Crossing Replaced As Part Of Years-Long Effort To Make LIRR Safer - CBS New York". www.cbsnews.com. November 13, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  9. ^ "Westbury's Post Avenue Bridge Replaced Ahead of Schedule". MTA. October 23, 2017. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  10. ^ "Westbury Station Enhancement". A Modern LI. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  11. ^ "Westbury Substation Replacement". A Modern LI. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  12. ^ "Westbury North Parking Structure". A Modern LI. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  13. ^ a b Winzelberg, David (July 22, 2022). "MTA taps Mill Creek for TOD project at Westbury LIRR station | Long Island Business News". Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  14. ^ a b Winzelberg, David (July 29, 2021). "Westbury's new parking garage to assist downtown reboot | Long Island Business News". Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  15. ^ Rizzo, Frank (August 21, 2021). "New Westbury Parking Garage Is All About The Future". www.longislandpress.com. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  16. ^ "Westbury South Parking and LIRR Lot Development". A Modern LI. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  17. ^ "Rail News - MTA seeks Westbury Station TOD proposals. For Railroad Career Professionals". Progressive Railroading. September 17, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
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