The Great Kills station is a Staten Island Railway station in the neighborhood of

Great Kills Great Kills is a neighborhood within the borough of Staten Island in New York City. It is located on the island's South Shore, and according to many local geographers, it is the South Shore's northernmost community. It is bordered by Richmondtow ...

, Staten Island, New York. It is located on an open cut west of Giffords Lane and

Amboy Road Amboy Road is a major north-south artery along the South- East Shore of the New York City borough of Staten Island. It is approximately long. Amboy Rd. was originally part of an extensive Native American trail system used by Algonquian peoples du ...

on the main line. It has two

side platform A side platform (also known as a marginal platform or a single-face platform) is a platform positioned to the side of one or more railway tracks or guideways at a railway station, tram stop, or transitway. A station having dual side platform ...

s and turquoise blue canopies and walls.

History

The station's original name was Gifford's, a previous name of the neighborhood honoring Daniel Gifford, a local commissioner and surveyor. The name also survives in Giffords Lane and Giffords Glen, which are adjacent to the station. The station was also known as Gifford's Lane. Both names appeared on the October 16, 1921 timetable. The station opened on April 23, 1860, with the opening of the Staten Island Railway from Vanderbilt's Landing to Eltingville.Staten Island Railroad, commencing Monday, April 23d, 1860
from "Gary Owen's S.I.R.T. Pages". It was rebuilt in the early 1930s to eliminate grade crossings, but with great difficulty. Workers had to dig 30 feet below ground level in order to avoid the underground springs and deep quicksand that laced the vicinity of the right-of-way. The project was finished by 1933.

Station layout

The station is located in an open cut and has two tracks and two

s. Afternoon rush-hour express trains from St. George end their non-stop runs at this station. Local trains operating in the peak direction begin or end their runs here. New

switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of ...

es were installed in 1997 south of the platforms. The remains of a spur are visible in this area. The

New York City Department of Transportation The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) is the agency of the government of New York City responsible for the management of much of New York City's transportation infrastructure. Ydanis Rodriguez is the Commissioner of the Depart ...

operates a

park and ride A park and ride, also known as incentive parking or a commuter lot, is a parking lot with public transport connections that allows commuters and other people heading to city centres to leave their vehicles and transfer to a bus, rail system ( ...

lot near the station.

Exits

This station is handicapped-accessible in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act via a pair of long ramps. In addition, there are stairs and an overpass leading to Brower Court and Nelson Avenue. The Great Kills Veterans Memorial is outside the entrance on the northbound side. The north end at Giffords Lane has the standard SIRT street-level stationhouse, and staircases leading to a heavily used commercial district.

References

External links

Staten Island Railway station list

Giffords Lane entrance from Google Maps Street View

Nelson Avenue (handicap) entrance from Google Maps Street ViewPlatforms from Google Maps Street View
{{Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority Staten Island Railway stations Railway stations in the United States opened in 1860 1860 establishments in New York (state) Great Kills, Staten Island