Valley Stream | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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.jpg) The station in 2023, as seen from the parking lot. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| General information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | Franklin Avenue &Sunrise Highway Valley Stream, New York | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 40°39′41″N73°42′17″W / 40.661483°N 73.704679°W /40.661483; -73.704679 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | Long Island Rail Road | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lines | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Distance |
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| Platforms | 1island platform | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 2 (Atlantic Branch), 2 (Montauk Branch) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Connections | Nassau Inter-County Express:n1, Elmont Flexi | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bicycle facilities | Yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Accessible | yes | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Other information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fare zone | 4[4] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | June 1869 (SSRRLI)[3] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rebuilt | 1933 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrified | December 11, 1905 750V (DC)third rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012-14 | 14,444[2] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rank | 12 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Valley Stream is atrain station located on theAtlantic Branch of theLong Island Rail Road, in theIncorporated Village of Valley Stream, inNassau County,New York.
Valley Stream is the westernmost station on the Atlantic Branch inNassau County. The station is located at Franklin Avenue andSunrise Highway, west of Rockaway Avenue. It iswheelchair-accessible with anelevator from street level; parking facilities and taxis are available.
Valley Stream is served byFar Rockaway Branch andLong Beach Branch as of February 27, 2023.West Hempstead Branch trains previously stopped at this station.[5] The tracks of theMontauk Branch pass through the station north of the Atlantic Branch tracks. Directly east of the station, the Atlantic Branch ends and splits into the Long Beach Branch and Far Rockaway Branch, while the West Hempstead Branch splits from the Montauk Branch.
The first Valley Stream station was built by theSouth Side Railroad of Long Island on October 28, 1867. The station house itself opened in July 1869 with the opening of theFar Rockaway Branch, and was built as aSwiss chalet style station house inside the legs of an old wye. It also served customers of theSouthern Hempstead Branch which was built by the short-livedNew York and Hempstead Plains Railroad between 1871 and 1900. Along with the rest of the SSRRLI, the station was acquired by theLong Island Rail Road in 1889. In 1893 the station began to serve trains along theWest Hempstead Branch. When Nassau County separated fromQueens in 1899, Valley Stream station became the first station in Nassau County along the Montauk Branch. The station was electrified with the rest of the Far Rockaway Branch in 1905.[6] Electrification ofLong Beach Branch was completed in 1910,[6] and the following year, the Long Beach Branch became an extension of theAtlantic Branch as two new tracks were built between Valley Stream andLynbrook.[7]
In 1933, the original station was razed as part of a grade crossing elimination project along the Atlantic and Montauk branches. Prior to this, a temporary station was relocated on a shoo-fly north of the former station on August 10, 1932, then moved to another one south of the former station on August 31 of the same year. The third elevated center-island structure that exists today was opened north of the former location on February 7, 1933 – and the wye was removed as part of the reconstruction.[8]
In the late 2010s, the station received upgrades and new features as part of the MTA'sEnhanced Station Initiative – including Wi-Fi, digital display kiosks, LED lighting,station artwork, charging stations, and other new waiting room and platform features.[9]
Following the opening ofGrand Central Madison in early 2023 and the resulting service changes, it was announced thatWest Hempstead Branch trains would no longer stop at Valley Stream, while the Far Rockaway and Long Beach Branches would continue serving it – a pattern which remains today.[5]
Shortly after electrical service of the Far Rockaway Branch was established, the LIRR created a new station west of Valley Stream at Clear Stream Road (now Avenue) calledClear Stream. It opened in 1906 and was used only for rush hour service. The station was eliminated after 1910.[10]
An eight-car-longisland platform is located between the two Atlantic Branch tracks, 1 and 2. The two bypass tracks located to the north are part of theMontauk Branch.[11]
| P Platform level | Montauk Branch | ← Montauk Branch,Babylon Branch,West Hempstead Branch do not stop here |
| Montauk Branch,Babylon Branch,West Hempstead Branch do not stop here → | ||
| Track1 | ← Far Rockaway Branch,Long Beach Branch towardGrand Central Madison,Atlantic Terminal, orPenn Station(Rosedale orJamaica) | |
Island platform, doors will open on the left or right | ||
| Track2 | Far Rockaway Branch towardFar Rockaway(Gibson) → Long Beach Branch towardLong Beach(Lynbrook) → | |
| G | Ground level | Entrance/exit, parking, buses |
