Elmhurst was a station of the

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. It branches north from the Main Line at the former Winfield Junction station, just east ...

of the

Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , often abbreviated as the LIRR, is a commuter rail system in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk Co ...

. It was located on Broadway between Cornish and Whitney Avenues in the Elmhurst section of

Queens, New York City Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long I ...

. In 2014, the

Metropolitan Transportation Authority The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the New York City metropolitan area of the U.S. state of New York. The MTA is the largest public transit authority in th ...

(MTA) had proposed to rebuild the station. only a preliminary design study is funded, with construction being considered for a future MTA capital program.

History

19th and 20th century stations

The first depot opened as Newtown in 1855 by the Flushing Railroad, and was demolished in 1888. The second depot opened around December 1888, was renamed Elmhurst in June 1897, had high platforms constructed in 1912, and was demolished around 1927. The elevated third and most recent depot opened in 1927 and was finally closed on January 22, 1985, being demolished shortly after. It stood on the east side of Broadway, a block south of the Elmhurst Avenue subway station.

21st century revival

In March 2012, the Long Island Rail Road and lawmakers announced they were considering building a new station at Elmhurst to restore service to the area, at an estimated cost of $20 to $30 million. The 2015–2019 MTA capital program initially included $40 million to design and construct the new station, which was proposed to be in the same location as the old one. However, in a 2017 amendment, the agency postponed the construction of the new station indefinitely, only including $3 million to fund station design. In 2022, as part of its 20-year needs assessment, the MTA proposed reviving plans for the station and funding construction in a future capital program. This will be evaluated for funding on a "level playing field" with other potential projects. In February 2023, Congresswoman

Grace Meng Grace Meng (born October 1, 1975) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 6th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, her district is in the New York City borough of Q ...

New York's 6th congressional district New York's 6th congressional district is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives in New York City, located entirely within Queens. It is represented by Democrat Grace Meng. A plurality of the district's populati ...

announced her renewed effort to reopen the station, sending a letter to LIRR Interim President Catherine Rinaldi. The letter received seven signatures from Meng's colleagues, who cited providing more "accessible modes of public transportation" and relieving crowding on the nearby Flushing Line as justifications for returning the station to service. LIRR 1891 Newtown station

Station layout

The Elmhurst station was built on ground level, later raised onto an embankment traversing Broadway past Whitney Avenue. The station had a two side platforms and a pedestrian underpass connecting the intersection of Ketcham Place and 43rd Avenue with the intersection of Dongan Avenue and 88th Street. The underpass remains open today. Additionally, there was an entrance to the Port Washington-bound platform near the corner of Cornish Avenue and Broadway. Additionally, there was a freight loading area near the Durkee Spice Factory (now the new Elmhurst Educational Complex) where freight would be unloaded.

References

External links

Pride in Port: The Jekyll & Hyde Branch of the Long Island Railroad: (Forgotten New York)
*Bob Andersen's Unofficial LIRR History Website ** ** {{DEFAULTSORT:Elmhurst (Lirr Station) Former Long Island Rail Road stations in New York City Elmhurst, Queens Railway stations in the United States opened in 1855 Railway stations closed in 1985 1855 establishments in New York (state) 1985 disestablishments in New York (state) Proposed Long Island Rail Road stations