View source for Port Jefferson Branch

{{short description|Long Island Rail Road branch}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox rail line
| name                            = Port Jefferson Branch
| color                           = {{rcr|LIRR|Port Jefferson}}
| image                           = LIRR DE30AC 407 at Stony Brook.jpg
| image_width                     = 300px
| caption                         = [[EMD DE30AC and DM30AC|DE30AC]] #407 enters [[Stony Brook (LIRR station)|Stony Brook]] station, pulling an eastbound train towards Port Jefferson in 2022
| type                            = [[Commuter rail]]
| system                          = [[Long Island Rail Road]]
| status                          = Operational
| locale                          = [[Nassau County, New York|Nassau]] and [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk Counties]], [[New York (state)|New York]], [[United States|USA]]
| start                           = [[Hicksville station|Hicksville]]
| end                             = [[Huntington station (LIRR)|Huntington]]<br/>[[Port Jefferson station (LIRR)|Port Jefferson]]
| stations                        = 10
| routes                          = {{rail color box|system=LIRR|line=Port Jefferson}}
| daily_ridership                 = 
| ridership2                      = 11,934,009 (annual ridership, 2023)<ref name=ridership>{{cite web | title=2023 ANNUAL RIDERSHIP REPORT | website=mta.info | date= | url=https://new.mta.info/document/138216#:~:text=*%20Annual%20ridership%20is%20based%20on,workdays%20in%202023%20and%202022.&text=The%20Long%20Island%20Rail%20Road%20finished%202023%20with%20increased%20ridership,above%202022's%2052.5%20million%20ridership.| access-date=June 6, 2024}}</ref>
| open                            = 1854–1873
| close                           = 
| owner                           = [[Long Island Rail Road]]
| operator                        = [[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]]
| linelength                      = 
| tracklength                     = 
| gauge                           = {{RailGauge|ussg}}
| electrification                 = {{750 V DC|conductor=third rail}} (west of [[Huntington (LIRR station)|Huntington]])
| map                             = {{switcher
|{{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|type=line|stroke-color=#0039A6|zoom=8|id=Q7230720}}
|Show interactive map
|{{Port Jefferson Branch}}
|Show route diagram map
}}
| map_state                       = 
}}
The '''Port Jefferson Branch''' is a [[rail line]] and service owned and operated by the [[Long Island Rail Road]] in the [[U.S. state]] of [[New York (state)|New York]]. The branch splits from the [[Main Line (Long Island Rail Road)|Main Line]] just east of [[Hicksville (LIRR station)|Hicksville]] and runs northeast and east to [[Port Jefferson (LIRR station)|Port Jefferson]]. Several stations on the Main Line west of Hicksville are served primarily by trains bound to/from the Port Jefferson branch, so LIRR maps and schedules for the public include that part of the Main Line in the "Port Jefferson Branch" service.

The Port Jefferson Branch is one of the busiest branches of the LIRR, with frequent [[electric (rail)|electric]] service to [[Huntington (LIRR station)|Huntington]] where electrification ends, and diesel service east of Huntington continuing to Port Jefferson. The MTA also refers to the line as the "'''Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch'''" or "'''Huntington Branch'''".

==Service==
Port Jefferson Branch service (as distinct from the physical trackage called the Port Jefferson Branch) extends east from [[Floral Park (LIRR station)|Floral Park]], where the [[Hempstead Branch]] separates from the Main Line. The line west of Huntington is electrified and double tracked. Electrification extends east of Huntington, past a layup track used to store electric trains, to a point between the Park Avenue and Lake Road grade crossings. East of there, the line is single-track, with a double-ended freight siding at [[Greenlawn (LIRR station)|Greenlawn]], an interlocked passing siding east of [[Northport (LIRR station)|Northport]], and further interlocked sidings at [[Kings Park (LIRR station)|Kings Park]], [[Smithtown (LIRR station)|Smithtown]] and [[Stony Brook (LIRR station)|Stony Brook]] passenger stations, allowing trains traveling in opposite directions to pass each other.

Electric trains on the branch operate between Manhattan ([[New York Penn Station|Penn Station]] or [[Grand Central Madison|Grand Central]]) and Huntington, providing local service on the branch. Trains to the [[Ronkonkoma Branch]] provide supplemental service; these usually run express, stopping only at Mineola and/or Hicksville. Additional service to Mineola is provided by [[Oyster Bay Branch]] trains, and a handful of [[Montauk Branch]] trains also stop at Mineola and Hicksville on weekdays, though the vast majority of [[Montauk Branch]] trains that run on the Main Line do not stop. Service on the non-electrified portion of the branch between Port Jefferson and Huntington is usually provided by diesel shuttles; transfers generally occur at Huntington between diesel shuttles and electric trains to/from city terminals. During rush hours, the branch sees extra service, including direct service between stations east of Huntington and [[Hunterspoint Avenue (LIRR station)|Hunterspoint Avenue]], [[Long Island City (LIRR station)|Long Island City]], or Penn Station.

Stations on the electrified portion that have the heaviest traffic include [[Mineola (LIRR station)|Mineola]] (Main Line), [[Hicksville (LIRR station)|Hicksville]] (Main Line), and [[Huntington (LIRR station)|Huntington]]. On the non-electrified portion, the heaviest traffic tends to be to the Stony Brook station where [[Stony Brook University]] is located.

==History==
The line from [[Hicksville, New York|Hicksville]] to [[Syosset, New York|Syosset]] was chartered in 1853 as the [[Hicksville and Syosset Railroad]] and opened in 1854. The LIRR later planned to extend to [[Cold Spring Harbor, NY|Cold Spring Harbor]], but [[Oliver Charlick]], the LIRR's president, disagreed over the station's location, so Charlick abandoned the grade and relocated the extension south of Cold Spring, refusing to add a station stop near Cold Spring for years. Another argument at [[Huntington, New York|Huntington]] led to the line bypassing the town two miles (3&nbsp;km) to the south, though a station was built. The line was extended from Syosset past Huntington to [[Northport, NY|Northport]] in 1868,<ref name="PRRC 1868">{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1868%20June%2004.wd.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1868 }}&nbsp;{{small|(93.8&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]])}}, June 2004 Edition</ref> and in 1873 the 1870-chartered [[Smithtown and Port Jefferson Railroad]] opened from a mile south of Northport to [[Port Jefferson, New York|Port Jefferson]],<ref name="PRRC 1873">{{cite web|url= http://www.prrths.com/Hagley/PRR1873%20Feb%2004.pdf |title=PRR Chronology, 1873 }}&nbsp;{{small|(100&nbsp;[[Kibibyte|KiB]])}}, February 2005 Edition</ref> turning the old line into Northport into the [[Northport Branch]], the result of another argument between Charlick and Northport.<ref>{{cite book |last1 = Ziel | first1 = Ron | last2 = Foster | first2 = George H. |title = Steel Rails to the Sunrise | publisher = Amereon House | location = Mattituck | year = 1987 |isbn = 0-8488-0368-X | pages = 13–14}}</ref> The extension required the construction of the Kings Park and [[Smithtown Trestle|Smithtown Trestles]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Keller |first=David |title=Revisiting the Long Island Rail Road: 1925-1975 |last2=Lynch |first2=Steven |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |year=2005 |isbn=9780738538297 |series=Images of Rail}}</ref><ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Seyfried |first=Vincent F. |title=The Long Island Rail Road: A Comprehensive History |date=1975 |publisher=Vincent F. Seyfried |location=Long Island |chapter=Part Six The Golden Age 1881-1900 |chapter-url=http://digitalarchives.queenslibrary.org/vital/access/services/Download/aql:340/SOURCE1?view=true |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150419021259/http://digitalarchives.queenslibrary.org/vital/access/services/Download/aql%3A340/SOURCE1?view=true |archive-date=April 19, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
[[File:Woodville Road old LIRR Bridge in Shoreham, NY.JPG|thumb|The Woodville Road Bridge in Shoreham which once carried the Wading River Extension of the branch.]]
The Port Jefferson Branch was extended to [[Wading River, New York|Wading River]] in 1895<!--with Italian laborers, according to Vincent Seyfried's notes-->, and became known as the Wading River Branch. The line was once slated to continue eastward and rejoin the Main Line at either [[Riverhead (LIRR station)|Riverhead]] or [[Calverton (LIRR station)|Calverton]]. From 1905 to 1928, Wading River was also the site of a [[Long Island Rail Road Demonstration Farm|LIRR demonstration farm]]. The other one was east of [[Medford (LIRR station)|Medford]] station on the [[Main Line (Long Island Rail Road)|Main Line]].

The grade crossing with New York Avenue in Huntington was eliminated in 1909 as that road was lowered below grade.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MaZpBgAAQBAJ&q=long+island+railroad+double+track+port+jefferson+branch&pg=PA11|title=Long Island Rail Road: Port Jefferson Branch|last=Morrison|first=David D.|date=October 28, 2013|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=9781439644218|language=en}}</ref>{{Rp|53}} In 1910 and 1911 work was undertaken to reduce grades and eliminate sharp curves along the line between Syosset and Huntington. The project eliminated grade crossings, shortened the line by {{Convert|3300|feet|km}}, and provided two million yards of excavated material that could be used for the reconstruction of [[Jamaica (LIRR station)|Jamaica]] station.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112089483272;view=1up;seq=173|title=The Long Island Railroad Twenty-Ninth Annual Report For The Year Ending December 31st, 1910|journal=Report of ..., Trustee&#91;S&#93; of the Property of the Debtor, for the Year Ended ...1949-1953 |publisher=Long Island Railroad Company|year=1911}}</ref>{{Rp|21–22}} In 1911, the line's second track was extended from Hicksville to Cold Spring.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112089483272;view=1up;seq=230|title=The Long Island Railroad Thirtieth Annual Report For The Year Ending December 31st, 1911|journal=Report of ..., Trustee&#91;S&#93; of the Property of the Debtor, for the Year Ended ...1949-1953 |publisher=Long Island Railroad Company|year=1912}}</ref>{{Rp|22}} In 1985, the second track was extended from just east of Syosset to just west of Huntington to alleviate a single-track bottleneck.

The line east of Port Jefferson was abandoned in 1938. The [[Right-of-way (transportation)|right-of-way]] is now owned by the [[Long Island Power Authority]] and used for power lines. A parallel [[rail trail]] for bicycling, running, and walking opened in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Borruto|first=Ana|date=June 16, 2022|url=https://greaterlongisland.com/the-north-shore-rail-trail-linking-port-jeff-to-wading-river-is-done-after-50-years/|title=The North Shore Rail Trail — linking Port Jeff to Wading River — is done after 50 years|website=Greater Long Island}}</ref> The Port Jefferson Branch was electrified from Mineola to Huntington Station in 1970. The former [[Northport Branch]] was abandoned in 1985, and the [[Kings Park Psychiatric Center]] spur (''see below'') was abandoned in 1988.

===Kings Park Psychiatric Center Spur===
[[File:Kings Park Hike & Bike Trail from NY 25A.jpg|thumb|The former crossing of the Kings Park Psychiatric Center spur with NY 25A, now the beginning of the Kings Park Hike and Bike Trail, ]]
The '''Kings Park Psychiatric run-off''' ('''KPPC''') is an [[Abandonment (legal)#Abandonment of public transportation systems|abandoned]] spur off the Port Jefferson Branch for the [[Kings Park Psychiatric Center]]. This spur started just west of [[Kings Park (LIRR station)|Kings Park station]], ran north of the station house, crossed Indian Head Road ([[County Route 14 (Suffolk County, New York)|Suffolk CR 14]]) and then curved north to cross [[New York State Route 25A]], where it ran along the western edge of the hospital property, and ended at the Hospital's coal power plant.

This [[spur]] was first used in 1896 for [[coal]] and [[passenger]] use on Sundays.<ref name=":1" />{{Rp|78}} The route was the second-largest spur in the [[Long Island Rail Road]] system when it was first completed. The route came to an end during the late 1980s.<ref>[http://trainsarefun.com/lirr/kingspark/MP43-44kingsparkemery.jpg Mileposts 43-44 Kings Park (Bob Emery Map; September 1957; TrainsAreFun.com)]</ref> Nowadays, this abandoned [[Thoroughfare|route]] is a [[Right-of-way (traffic)|right-of-way]] for biking and is open to the [[general public|public]] today. Only small fragments of rail remain, as it most of it was removed during the demise of the complex.<ref>[http://trainweb.org/AbandonedLIRR/kppc.htm Kings Park State Hospital Spur (Train Web)]</ref>

===Electrification===
On October 19, 1970, [[Railway electrification system|electrification]] was extended {{Convert|16|miles|km}} from [[Mineola (LIRR station)|Mineola]] to [[Huntington (LIRR station)|Huntington]], the eastern limit of electrification on the branch. This was the first major LIRR electrification project since the electrification of the Babylon Branch in 1925 between Lynbrook and Babylon. The project was completed for $69 million, and received funding from a 1967 state transportation bond issue and the [[United States Department of Transportation]]. With the completion of electrification to Huntington, six trains would run from electric territory on the branch in the morning, and five would return in the evening, providing direct service to Brooklyn and Penn Station without a change at Jamaica.<ref>{{Cite news |date=October 19, 1970 |title=Start New Timetable On Electrified Section |work=New York Daily News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121040497/daily-news/ |access-date=March 19, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

Since then, the LIRR has aspired to extend electrification beyond Huntington. In the 1980s, the railroad prepared to extend electrification to at least [[Northport (LIRR station)|Northport]], or [[Smithtown (LIRR station)|Smithtown]], although electrification of the [[Ronkonkoma Branch]] on the [[Main Line (Long Island Rail Road)|Main Line]] was seen as a higher priority, in part because the Main Line's central location in [[Suffolk County, New York|Suffolk County]] would benefit a larger number of people.

In December 1983, the LIRR announced that it was taking steps in the electrification of the branch, with the first step being the addition of a second electrified track from Syosset to Huntington. The second built along the south side of the existing track.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/09/02/nyregion/l-letters-to-the-long-island-editor-lirr-s-plans-for-electrification-165060.html|title=Letters to the Long Island Editor; L.I.R.R.'s Plans For Electrification|date=September 2, 1984|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 27, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The second track was expected to be open in 1986. In August 1983, [[Long Island Lighting Company]] started relocating its power line along the right-of-way between these points. The following month a contract to prepare the site and to construct the roadbed for the track was awarded for $9.5 million. In December 1983, grading and construction work was expected to begin that month, and track installation was scheduled to be completed by the end of 1985. As part of the project, the {{Convert|800|feet|meters|abbr=}} south platform was to be extended to accommodate 12-car trains. The design of the project to Northport was completed, and preliminary designs were expected to be completed by early 1984.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/12/04/nyregion/amount-of-lirr-fare-rise-weighed.html|title=Amount of L.I.R.R. Fare Rise Weighed|last=Goldman|first=Ari L.|date=December 4, 1983|work=The New York Times|access-date=February 27, 2019|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

On August 6, 1984, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at Kings Park station for the inauguration of a project to install high-level platforms at that station in preparation of the electrification of the line from Huntington to Smithtown. Kings Park would receive high-level platforms first, with Greenlawn, Northport, and Smithtown also slated to receive them. Work was to be completed in two phases. In the first phase, expected to be completed by the end of 1984, six-car high-level platforms would be installed. These platforms would be extended to accommodate twelve-car trains in the second phase, to be done by the middle of 1985.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hanrahan |first=Michael |date=August 7, 1984 |title=Kings Park station work begins |work=New York Daily News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72645840/daily-news/ |access-date=March 19, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

Bruce McIver, president of the LIRR at the time, estimated in 1986 that electrification of the branch would cost $320 million, including new rolling stock. He argued that the limited funds the railroad had set aside for electrification would be better spent on other improvements, such as signal and [[West Side Yard|yard]] upgrades near Penn Station. Financial constraints acted as another obstacle to electrification to Northport.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/11/24/nyregion/pulling-the-plug-on-electrification.html|title=Pulling the Plug on Electrification|author=McQuiston|first=John T.|date=November 24, 1985|issn=0362-4331|work=The New York Times|access-date=January 5, 2016}}</ref> McIver also did not want to electrify the branch in a piecemeal fashion and wanted to wait until the railroad had the funds to electrify from Huntington to Port Jefferson all at once. In anticipation of electrification, from late 1985 to early 1986, the LIRR built full-length high-level platforms at all stations between Huntington and Port Jefferson. Because electrification has not occurred, these 12-car platforms are unique in the LIRR's diesel territory; the high-level platforms along the [[Montauk Branch|Montauk]], [[Ronkonkoma Branch|Greenport]] and [[Oyster Bay Branch|Oyster Bay]] diesel branches are all much shorter. Work to install centralized traffic control between Smithtown and Port Jefferson started in fall 1974 and was completed in March 1975. This project was intended to improve safety and to increase train speed. The change allowed bidirectional service in single-track territory with the use of passing sidings.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://derekstadler.wordpress.com/portfolio-2/collections-photography/suffolk/port-jefferson-blues-the-smithtown-commuter-saga/ |title="Port Jefferson Blues": The Smithtown Commuter Saga |last=Stadler |first=Derek |date=August 16, 2016 |website=Derek Stadler |language=en-US |access-date=May 6, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007192702/https://derekstadler.wordpress.com/portfolio-2/collections-photography/suffolk/port-jefferson-blues-the-smithtown-commuter-saga/ |archive-date=October 7, 2021}}</ref>

On June 9, 1986, double-tracking of the line between Syosset and Huntington was completed, and seven additional trains (two diesels and five electric) were added to the schedule.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/127872292@N06/47232880031/in/dateposted-public/|title=Port Jefferson Branch Timetable Effective June 9, 1986|date=February 27, 2019|website=Flickr|publisher=Long Island Rail Road|access-date=February 27, 2019}}</ref> The second track sped some trips by up to 15 minutes, and increased operational flexibility. The $41 million project started in September 1983 and included the widening of bridges at West Rogues Path and Woodbury Road,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28946374/lirr_adds_7_new_trains_monday/|title=LIRR adds 7 new trains Monday|date=June 5, 1986|work=New York Daily News|access-date=February 27, 2019|pages=340}}</ref> five rubberized grade crossings, and the installation of a six-car length platform on the new second track at Cold Spring Harbor. Construction for the project required off-peak service outages starting in June 1985,<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 11, 1985 |title=LIRR halts trains for track work |work=New York Daily News |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/28946584/daily-news/ |access-date=March 19, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> and its completion was delayed from fall 1985 due to delays in property acquisition in Cold Spring Harbor.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bleyer |first=Bill |date=June 7, 1986 |title=7 Trains Added to Line |pages=17 |work=Newsday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121040836/newsday-nassau-edition/ |access-date=March 19, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

Instead of electrification, the LIRR ultimately pursued [[Electro-diesel locomotive|dual-mode locomotives]] that could switch between diesel power and electric power to serve Penn Station (where diesel emissions are banned). Senator [[Norman J. Levy|Norman Levy]] said that "The people who ride the line would have just about all the positive aspects of electrification with this proposal."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/02/23/nyregion/lirr-electrification-new-delays-new-plans.html|title=L.I.R.R. Electrification: New Plans, New Delays|author=McQuiston|first=John T.|date=February 23, 1986|access-date=January 5, 2016|work=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The [[EMD DE30AC and DM30AC|LIRR's dual-mode locomotives]] debuted in the late 1990s, providing two round trips during weekday rush hours between Penn Station and Port Jefferson, the first time a one-seat ride was available.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/05/31/nyregion/the-4-49-to-port-jefferson-a-sporadic-promise-of-modernity.html|title=The 4:49 to Port Jefferson: A Spoardic Promise of Modernity|author=Lambert|first=Bruce|date=May 31, 1997|access-date=January 5, 2016|work=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

====Proposed electrification extension====
In 2015, multiple parties renewed calls for electrification of the branch. The LIRR estimated that electrification would cost up to $18 million per track mile, so electrification of the 23 miles from Huntington to Port Jefferson could cost approximately $414 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/port-jefferson-backs-electrification-of-lirr-line-1.9941052|title=Port Jefferson backs electrification of LIRR line|author=Castillo|first=Alfonoso A.|date=February 15, 2015|publisher=Newsday|access-date=January 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk-county-planning-panel-calls-for-lirr-electrification-1.10012472|title=Suffolk planning panel calls for LIRR electrification|author=Schwartz|first=David M.|last2=Brand|first2=Rick|date=March 4, 2015|publisher=Newsday|access-date=January 6, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.longislandpress.com/2015/03/09/now-is-not-the-time-to-electrify-more-lirr-tracks/|title=Now Is Not the Time to Electrify More LIRR Tracks|author=Murdocco|first=Rich|date=March 9, 2015|work=Long Island Press|access-date=May 3, 2015}}</ref> In its 20-Year Needs Assessment, the agency lists electrification eastward as a long-term goal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.mta.info/mta/capital/pdf/TYN2015-2034.pdf#page=70|title=MTA 2015-2034 20-Year Capital Needs Assessment|website=mta.info|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|pages=70|access-date=January 5, 2016}}</ref>

In September 2018, LIRR President [[Phillip Eng]] said the LIRR is still exploring the possibility of electrifying the remaining section of track between Huntington and Port Jefferson.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/transportation/ronkonkoma-electrify-lirr-capital-program-1.21269955|title=LIRR to power up a seldom-used rail link to alleviate service disruptions|author=Castillo|first=Alfonso A.|date=September 26, 2018|publisher=Newsday|access-date=September 26, 2018}}</ref>

===Grade crossing eliminations===
The Port Jefferson Branch and Main Line have been known to have some of the most hazardous grade crossings in the country.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/newsday-nassau-edition-lirr-grade-cros/81491795/ |title=Six Deadly Crossings: But revised cost stops railroad project in its tracks |first=Adam Z. |last=Horvath |date=June 3, 1991 |work=Newsday |p=3 |via=Newspapers.com |access-date=June 20, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/13/nyregion/at-rail-crossings-in-new-york-area-a-constantly-lurking-danger.html |title=In New York Area, Points Where Train and Tragedy Are Likely to Intersect |first=Russ |last=Buettner |first2=Emma G. |last2=Fitzsimmons |work=The New York Times |date=February 12, 2015 |access-date=June 20, 2024}}</ref> On April 28, 1998, a bridge over Herricks Road opened, replacing a grade crossing which was once "labeled the most hazardous in the United States by the [[National Transportation Safety Board]]." The grade-crossing elimination project was initiated after an incident on March 14, 1982, when a van with ten teenagers got struck at the four-lane wide rail crossing with the crossing gates down, killing nine of them. The project took five years and cost $85 million. Work continued for a year to widen the overpass to allow for a future third track.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/04/28/nyregion/16-years-after-death-of-9-teen-agers-rail-bridge-opens.html|title=16 Years After Death of 9 Teen-Agers, Rail Bridge Opens|last=Draffen|first=Duayne|date=April 28, 1998|work=The New York Times|access-date=May 8, 2015|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Other crossings eliminated along the branch include Mineola Boulevard in Mineola (1930), crossings within Hicksville when the station was elevated in the early 1960s, and Charlotte Avenue  in Hicksville (1973). Ten years later in 2008, the four-lane wide Roslyn Road in Mineola was eliminated in the same fashion. Several hazardous crossings still exist west of Huntington east of DIVIDE interlocking, such as Robbins Lane and Jackson Avenue in Syosset. East of Huntington, [[County Route 35 (Suffolk County, New York)|Park Avenue]] in Huntington and [[New York State Route 25A|Main Street]] in Port Jefferson are considered quite hazardous.

The Third Track project closed the seven remaining grade crossings on the Main Line, namely those in Westbury, Mineola, and New Hyde Park.<ref name=":0">{{cite web | last=Castillo | first=Alfonso A. | date=June 23, 2018 | title=LIRR Expansion to kick off with 10 major projects | website=Newsday | url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/transportation/lirr-third-track-1.19363853 | access-date=April 21, 2019}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{cite web | title=Governor Cuomo Announces Groundbreaking of Historic Long Island Rail Road Third Track | website=Governor Andrew M. Cuomo | date=September 5, 2018 | url=https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-groundbreaking-historic-long-island-rail-road-third-track | access-date=April 21, 2019}}</ref> The first two crossings that underwent elimination would be Urban Avenue in Westbury and Covert Avenue in New Hyde Park. Construction to eliminate began from February–April 2019 with the closures of both roads. On the weekend of July 20–21, 2019, the trestle carrying the three tracks was installed at Urban Avenue. After construction of retaining walls, pedestrian walkway, and the repaving of the road, Urban Avenue was officially reopened on September 5, 2019. Covert Avenue underwent the installation of a three-track trestle on the weekend of August 24–25 and reopened on October 12, 2019. New Hyde Park underwent the installation of a three-track trestle on the weekend of July 11–12, 2020, and reopened in August 2020.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />

By mid-2021, Main Street in Mineola, the pedestrian crossing at Mineola's station, and 12th Street in New Hyde Park were permanently closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic, while Willis Avenue in Mineola and School Street in Westbury received trestles, with the roads crossing underneath. From May 2020 to November 2020, School Street underwent a grade crossing elimination and reopened less than two years after a violent accident occurred involving a pick-up truck and two trains. On October 24, 2020, the stretch of the line in New Hyde Park was officially grade-separated following the permanent closure of the 12th Street crossing. By late 2020, the only remaining grade crossings on the Main Line between Hicksville and Floral Park were located in Mineola. In November 2020, Willis Avenue's elimination project began that saw its Main Line and Oyster Bay Branch crossings eliminated with the road going underneath the tracks. Main Street and the pedestrian crossing were removed shortly thereafter.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />

After the Third Track Project was completed, all Main Line grade crossings from Hicksville westward were eliminated, noise from horns was reduced to the benefit of residents along the tracks, and carbon emissions from idling vehicles was eliminated.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> The elimination and reopening of Willis Avenue on September 3, 2021, officially marked the completion of the grade crossing elimination aspect of the Third Track Project, and the branch being fully grade-separated west of Hicksville.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" />

==Infrastructure improvements==
===New electric yard===
Lacking a yard to store its electric trains, the branch has storage space for just three 12-car electric trainsets (at the South Side track extension east of Huntington). As a result, electric trains must [[dead mileage|deadhead]] to Huntington for rush hour service from as far away as [[West Side Yard]] in [[Manhattan]], about {{convert|37|mi|km}} away. A new yard for electric trains would resolve this inefficiency and allow more frequent service on the branch.

In the early 2000s, the MTA performed [[Environmental Impact Statement|environmental studies]] for over a dozen potential sites for a yard between [[Huntington (LIRR station)|Huntington]] and [[Smithtown (LIRR station)|Smithtown]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mta.info/mta/planning/portj/scope.pdf|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20051219110814/http://www.mta.info/mta/planning/portj/scope.pdf|archive-date = December 19, 2005|title = Planned Service Changes}}</ref> Sites beyond Huntington would require extending the electrical infrastructure, which adds expense.

Communities near the sites opposed the MTA's efforts to advance work on a new yard, arguing that the MTA was too secretive and that the increased train service and train movements would hurt their communities and decrease their quality of life. One commenter asserted that a yard would turn the communities along the line into the MTA's "storage closet" for [[East Side Access]]. Other opponents of the plan argued that the MTA should extend electrification to Port Jefferson and use its existing diesel rail yard.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/27/nyregion/lirr-expansion-the-other-shoe-drops.html?pagewanted=all|title=L.I.R.R. Expansion: The Other Shoe Drops|author=John Rather|date=August 27, 2000|work=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=January 5, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/30/nyregion/proposed-lirr-yard-draws-fire.html|title=The Proposed L.I.R.R. Yard Draws Fire|author=John Rather|date=November 30, 2003|work=New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=January 5, 2016}}</ref>

The MTA budgeted $8 million in its 2015–2019 Capital Program for environmental studies, design work, and land acquisition for a new electric yard. (Construction would be funded in a future Capital Program.)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mta.info/mta/planning/portj/|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080411174812/http://www.mta.info/mta/planning/portj/|archive-date = April 11, 2008|title = Planned Service Changes}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://web.mta.info/capital/pdf/CapitalProgram2015-19_WEB%20v4%20FINAL_small.pdf#page=24 |title = MTA 2015-2019 Capital Program, pages 24, 97 and 208 |access-date=January 5, 2016}}</ref> {{As of|2019}}, the MTA was also considering other options, including extending electrification and/or a second track from Huntington to Port Jefferson.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://web.mta.info/mta/news/books/pdf/190325_0930_LIRR.pdf|title=Long Island Rail Road Committee Meeting - March 2019|date=March 25, 2019|website=mta.info|publisher=[[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]]|access-date=March 25, 2019|page=46}}</ref>

In February 2022, local leaders urged the MTA to consider a Superfund site near the Port Jefferson Station—the former [[Lawrence Aviation Industries, Inc.|Lawrence Aviation Industries]] site—for the electric storage yard, as well as extending electrification from Huntington to Port Jefferson. The MTA has not moved forward with this plan or any others.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/superfund-site-port-jefferson-station-back-taxes-lirr-1.50462512|title=Port Jefferson Station Superfund site sale eyed to recoup back taxes, electrify LIRR branch|date=December 29, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://tbrnewsmedia.com/suffolk-county-leaders-lawrence-aviation-presents-real-potential-for-lirr-electrification/|title=Suffolk County Leaders: Lawrence Aviation presents real potential for LIRR electrification |date=February 11, 2022}}</ref>
{{#section:Main Line (Long Island Rail Road)|thirdtrack}}

==Stations==
West of {{lirrs|New Hyde Park}}, trips go on to terminate at {{lirrs|Penn Station}}, {{lirrs|Hunterspoint Avenue}}, {{lirrs|Grand Central}}, or {{lirrs|Jamaica}}.<ref name=timetable>{{cite web|url=https://new.mta.info/document/85026|title=LIRR Port Jefferson Branch Timetable|publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|location=New York|date=2023-05-23}}</ref> Stations east of {{lirrs|Port Jefferson}} on the former [[Wading River Branch]] were abandoned on October 3, 1938.
{| class="wikitable"
!Zone<ref name=zone>{{cite web |url=http://web.mta.info/lirr/about/TicketInfo/Fares.htm |title=New Fares — Effective April 21, 2019 |publisher=[[Metropolitan Transportation Authority]] |access-date=April 27, 2020}}</ref>
!Location
!Station
![[Railway milepost|Miles (km)]]<br />from [[Long Island City station|Long Island City]]<ref name="ett-20120514" />
!Date<br/>opened
!Date<br/>closed
!Connections&nbsp;/ notes
|-
|rowspan=3|4
|[[New Hyde Park, New York|New Hyde Park]]
|{{lirrs|New Hyde Park}} {{LIRR acc}}
|{{convert|16.2|mi|abbr=values}}
|c. 1837
|
|[[Nassau Inter-County Express]]: {{LI bus link|n24|n25/58}}<br/>Originally named Hyde Park
|-
|[[Garden City Park, New York|Garden City Park]]
|{{lirrs|Merillon Avenue}} {{LIRR acc}}
|{{convert|17.3|mi|abbr=values}}
|1837
|
|Originally named Clowesville, then Garden City
|-
|[[Mineola, New York|Mineola]]
|{{lirrs|Mineola}} {{LIRR acc}}
|{{convert|18.6|mi|abbr=values}}
|1837<ref name=hicksville/>
|
|[[Long Island Rail Road]]: [[Ronkonkoma Branch|Ronkonkoma]], [[Montauk Branch|Montauk]], [[Oyster Bay Branch|Oyster Bay]] branches<br/>Nassau Inter-County Express: {{LI bus link|n15|n22|n22X|n23|n24|n40}}<br/>Originally named Hempstead, then Branch or Hempstead Branch
|-
|rowspan=8|7
|[[Carle Place, New York|Carle Place]]
|{{lirrs|Carle Place}} {{LIRR acc}}
|{{convert|20.4|mi|abbr=values}}
|1842<ref>{{cite news | work = [[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] | location = [[Brooklyn|Brooklyn, NY]] |title=Long Island Railroad Company|date = May 28, 1842|page=3}}</ref>
|
|Nassau Inter-County Express: {{LI bus link|n22}}<br/>Originally named Carll Place
|-
|[[Westbury, New York|Westbury]]
|{{lirrs|Westbury}} {{LIRR acc}}
|{{convert|21.4|mi|abbr=values}}
|1837<ref name=hicksville/>
|
|Nassau Inter-County Express: {{LI bus link|n22|n35}}
|- bgcolor=dfdfdf
|[[New Cassel, New York|New Cassel]]
|{{lirrs|New Cassel}}
|
|1875
|1876
|
|-
|[[Hicksville, New York|Hicksville]]
|{{lirrs|Hicksville}} {{LIRR acc}}
|{{convert|24.8|mi|abbr=values}}
|1837<ref name="hicksville">[[Brooklyn Advocate]], [http://arrts-arrchives.com/images/qq1837bklnadvocatea.jpg Long Island Rail Road], February 1837</ref>
|
|Long Island Rail Road: Ronkonkoma Branch<br/>Nassau Inter-County Express: {{LI bus link|n20H|n22|n24|n48|n49|n78|n79|n79x|n80}}
|-
|rowspan=4|[[Syosset, New York|Syosset]]
|- bgcolor=dfdfdf
|{{lirrs|Landia}}
|
|1952
|October 3, 1973
|
|-
|{{lirrs|Syosset}} {{LIRR acc}}
|{{convert|29.1|mi|abbr=values}}
|1854
|
|
|- bgcolor=dfdfdf
|[[Woodbury station (LIRR)|Woodbury]]
|
|1875
|c. 1901
|Replaced by Cold Spring Harbor
|-
|rowspan=4|9
|[[West Hills, New York|West Hills]]
|{{lirrs|Cold Spring Harbor}} {{LIRR acc}}
|{{convert|31.9|mi|abbr=values}}
|c. 1901
|
|
|-
|[[Huntington Station, New York|Huntington Station]]
|{{lirrs|Huntington}} {{LIRR acc}}
|{{convert|34.7|mi|abbr=values}}
|1868
|
|[[Suffolk County Transit]]: {{LI bus link|1}}<br/>[[Huntington Area Rapid Transit]]: {{LI bus link|H10|H20}}<br/>Terminus of [[Railway electrification system|electrification]]
|-
|[[Greenlawn, New York|Greenlawn]]
|{{lirrs|Greenlawn}} {{LIRR acc}}
|{{convert|37.4|mi|abbr=values}}
|c. 1868
|
|Huntington Area Rapid Transit: {{LI bus link|H30}}<br/>Originally named Centreport
|-
|[[East Northport, New York|East Northport]]
|{{lirrs|Northport}} {{LIRR acc}}
|{{convert|39.6|mi|abbr=values}}
|1873
|
|Suffolk County Transit: {{LI bus link|7}}<br/>Huntington Area Rapid Transit: {{LI bus link|H40}}<br/>Originally named New Northport, then Northport East
|-
|rowspan=7|10
|[[Kings Park, New York|Kings Park]]
|{{lirrs|Kings Park}} {{LIRR acc}}
|{{convert|43.4|mi|abbr=values}}
|1872
|
|Suffolk County Transit: {{LI bus link|56}}<br/>Originally named St. Johnsland
|-
|[[Smithtown (CDP), New York|Smithtown]]
|{{lirrs|Smithtown}} {{LIRR acc}}
|{{convert|47.1|mi|abbr=values}}
|1873
|
|Suffolk County Transit: {{LI bus link|5|56}}
|-
|rowspan=2|[[St. James, New York|St. James]]
|{{lirrs|St. James}} {{LIRR acc}}
|{{convert|49.9|mi|abbr=values}}
|1873
|
|
|- bgcolor=dfdfdf
|{{lirrs|Flowerfield}}
|
|1910
|1958
|
|-
|[[Stony Brook, New York|Stony Brook]]
|{{lirrs|Stony Brook}} {{LIRR acc}}
|{{convert|53.1|mi|abbr=values}}
|1873
|
|Suffolk County Transit: {{LI bus link|51}}<br/>[[Stony Brook University|SBU Transit]]: Outer Loop, Railroad Routes 1, Railroad Route 2
|- bgcolor=dfdfdf
|[[East Setauket, New York|East Setauket]]
|{{lirrs|Setauket}}
|
|1873
|June 27, 1980<ref name="Setauketclosure">{{Cite news |date=June 27, 1980 |title=Setauket Station Closing |work=Newsday |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/121210681/newsday-suffolk-edition/ |access-date=March 19, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>
|
|-
|[[Port Jefferson Station, New York|Port Jefferson Station]]
|{{lirrs|Port Jefferson}} {{LIRR acc}}
|{{convert|57.5|mi|abbr=values}}
|January&nbsp;13, 1873<ref name="1873opening">{{cite news |title=Port Jefferson |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74922153/port-jeff-january-13-1873/ |access-date=April 2, 2021 |work=[[The Brooklyn Eagle|The Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |date=January 13, 1873 |page=4|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>
|
|Suffolk County Transit: {{LI bus link|51|53|55|62}}<br/>Port Jefferson Jitney
|- bgcolor=dfdfdf
|rowspan=4|
|[[Miller Place, New York|Miller Place]]
|{{lirrs|Miller Place}}
|60.5 (97.4)
|1898
|1938
|
|- bgcolor=dfdfdf
|[[Rocky Point, New York|Rocky Point]]
|{{lirrs|Rocky Point}}
|64.4 (103.6)
|June&nbsp;27, 1895<ref name="1895opening-1">{{cite news |title=Wading River Branch Inspected |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74920915/wading-river-may-25-1895/ |access-date=April 2, 2021 |work=[[The Brooklyn Eagle|The Brooklyn Daily Eagle]] |date=May 25, 1895 |page=7|via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref>{{sfn|Allen|1895|p=236}}
|1938
|Freight house still exists as a lumber yard
|- bgcolor=dfdfdf
|[[Shoreham, New York|Shoreham]]
|{{lirrs|Shoreham}}
|65.7 (105.6)
|1900
|1938
|
|-bgcolor=dfdfdf
|[[Wading River, New York|Wading River]]
|{{lirrs|Wading River}}
|68.7 (110.6)
|June&nbsp;27, 1895<ref name="1895opening-1" />{{sfn|Allen|1895|p=236}}
|1938
|
|}

==Bibliography ==
*{{cite book |last1=Allen |first1=W.F. |title=Travelers' Official Railway Guide for the United States, Canada and Mexico Containing Railway Time Schedules, Connections and Distances |date=1895 |publisher=The National Railway Publication Company |location=New York, New York |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UsAsAQAAMAAJ |access-date=April 2, 2021}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{attached KML|display=inline,title}}
{{Commons and category|Port Jefferson Branch|Port Jefferson Branch (Long Island Rail Road)}}
*[http://world.nycsubway.org/us/lirr/lirr-portjeff.html NYCSubway.org Port Jefferson Line]
*[http://www.arrts-arrchives.com/contact.html Wading River Branch (Arrt's Arrchives)]
*[http://thelirrtoday.blogspot.com/search/label/Port%20Jefferson%20Branch Port Jefferson Branch (The LIRR Today)]

{{Long Island Rail Road}}

[[Category:Long Island Rail Road branches]]
[[Category:Transportation in Nassau County, New York]]
[[Category:Transportation in Suffolk County, New York]]
[[Category:1854 establishments in New York (state)]]