Main Line (Long Island Rail Road)

LIRR Main Line
The Main Line near Jamaica, which is visible in the foreground.
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Long Island Rail Road
Locale	Long Island, New York, USA
Termini	Long Island City Greenport
Stations	30 passenger, 1 employee-only
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	Long Island Rail Road
Services	City Terminal Zone   Belmont Park Branch   Hempstead Branch   Oyster Bay Branch   Port Jefferson Branch   Port Washington Branch   Ronkonkoma Branch
Operator(s)	Long Island Rail Road
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification	Third rail, 750 V DC (west of Ronkonkoma)
Route map Show interactive map Legend West Side Yard Northeast Corridor to Washington, D.C. 0.0 mi 0 km Penn Station ​​ ​​ Grand Central East River | 63rd Street tunnels 0.0 mi 0 km Long Island City ​ East Side Access 0.6 mi 1 km Hunterspoint Avenue ​ Lower Montauk Branch Sunnyside (future) 3.7 mi 1.8 mi Harold Interlocking | Sunnyside Yard Northeast Corridor to Boston South via NYCR 3.1 mi 5 km Woodside ​ Winfield Junction (closed) Port Washington Grand Street (closed) Rego Park (closed) Rockaway Beach Branch 6.7 mi 10.8 km Forest Hills ​​​ 8.7 mi 14 km Kew Gardens ​ Westbridge (closed) Atlantic Jay Interlocking 9.3 mi 15 km Jamaica ​​​ Far Rockaway Long Beach via Atlantic Union Hall Street (closed) Canal Street (closed) Hillside (closed) Babylon West Hempstead via Montauk Hillside Facility Rockaway Junction (closed) Willow Tree (closed) 11.5 mi 18.5 km Hollis Bellaire (closed) 13.2 mi 21.2 km Queens Village Queens Nassau County Zone 3 Zone 4 Belmont Park Elmont 14.3 mi 23 km Bellerose 14.9 mi 24 km Floral Park Hempstead 16.2 mi 26.1 km New Hyde Park 17.3 mi 27.8 km Merillon Avenue 18.6 mi 29.9 km Mineola Oyster Bay Zone 4 Zone 7 20.4 mi 32.8 km Carle Place 21.4 mi 34.4 km Westbury New Cassel (closed) Hicksville Team Track 24.8 mi 39.9 km Hicksville Port Jefferson 27.9 mi 44.9 km Bethpage 271 Merritt Track Grumman (closed) Montauk via Central Branch Ronkonkoma 30.2 mi 48.6 km Farmingdale Nassau Suffolk Zone 7 Zone 9 Republic (closed) 32.4 mi 52.1 km Pinelawn 125 New South Track 34.7 mi 55.8 km Wyandanch 38.4 mi 61.8 km Deer Park Pilgrim Track Thompson's Siding | Pine Aire Track Back Track Zone 9 Zone 10 41.1 mi 66.1 km Brentwood CISH Branch 43.6 mi 70.2 km Central Islip 48.5 mi 78.1 km Ronkonkoma Ronkonkoma Yard (end electrification) Holbrook (closed) Prima Asphalt Track Holtsville (closed) 54.1 mi 87.1 km Medford Medford Team Track Zone 10 Zone 12 58.6 mi 94.3 km Yaphank Manorville (closed) Manorville Branch Epcal Freight Village Calverton (closed) Zone 12 Zone 14 73.3 mi 118 km Riverhead Aquebogue (closed) Jamesport (closed) Laurel (closed) 82.4 mi 132.6 km Mattituck Cutchogue (closed) Peconic (closed) 90.1 mi 145 km Southold 94.3 mi 151.8 km Greenport Distances shown from Long Island City [1] This diagram: view talk edit Show route diagram map

The Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. It begins as a two-track line at Long Island City station in Long Island City, Queens, and runs along the middle of Long Island about 95 miles (153 km) to Greenport station in Greenport, Suffolk County. At Harold Interlocking approximately one mile east of Long Island City, the tracks from the East River Tunnels and 63rd Street Tunnel into Manhattan intersect with the Main Line, which most trains use rather than using the Long Island City station.

Continuing east, five branches split from the Main Line. In order from west to east, they are:

• Port Washington Branch (at Harold Interlocking in Long Island City, Queens)
• Hempstead Branch (at Queens Interlocking along the Queens/Nassau County border)
• Oyster Bay Branch (at Nassau Interlocking, east of Mineola station)
• Port Jefferson Branch (at Divide Interlocking, east of Hicksville station)
• Central Branch (at Beth Interlocking, east of Bethpage station)—single non-electrified track with no stations, connecting the Main Line to the Montauk Branch

West of Ronkonkoma station, the Main Line is largely double tracked and electrified with 750V DC third rail, with trains governed by Automatic Block and Interlocking Signals and by Automatic Train Control. The line contains a third track between Divide and Queens Interlockings and a fourth track between Queens and Harold Interlockings. East of Ronkonkoma to Greenport, the line is not electrified and trains operate in non-signaled dark territory, with all train movements being governed by timetable and train order authority. Passenger service east of Hicksville station is covered by Ronkonkoma Branch timetables, as it is the final connecting point to other services.