Island Park is a station on the Long Island Rail Road's

Long Beach Branch The Long Beach Branch is an electrified rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch begins at Valley Interlocking, just east of Valley Stream station, where it merges with the F ...

serving the residents of Island Park,

Barnum Island Barnum Island is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 2,590 at the 2020 census. It occupies the eastern portion of an ...

, and Harbor Isle. The station can platform a 12-car train and is fully

wheelchair accessible Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i. ...

with ramps from street level. Parking facilities are also available. Southwest of the station the train crosses over

Reynolds Channel Reynolds Channel is a strait in Nassau County, New York that separates Long Beach Barrier Island, which contains the City of Long Beach and the villages of Atlantic Beach, Lido Beach, and Point Lookout, from Long Island, Barnum Island, Har ...

. The station is located at the southern intersection of Long Beach Road and Austin Boulevard ( Nassau County Routes 1A and 1, respectively), and is from

Penn Station Pennsylvania Station is a name applied by the Pennsylvania Railroad to several of its grand passenger terminals. Pennsylvania Station or Penn Station may also refer to Current train stations * Baltimore Penn Station * Pennsylvania Station (Cinc ...

in Midtown Manhattan. The average commute time between Island Park and Penn Station is 45–50 minutes. The average commute time between Island Park and

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is 25–30 minutes.

History

Island Park station was built as a signal stop by the

New York and Long Beach Railroad The Long Beach Branch is an electrified rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch begins at Valley Interlocking, just east of Valley Stream station, where it merges with th ...

in April 1898 as The Dykes and served as a flag stop during much of the early 20th Century. In 1922, developer Edgewater Smith changed the name of the island from Jekyl Island to Island Park, though the name of the station was not changed until 1924; the previous name replaced the former Jekyl Island Station (see below) to the north. The existing station building was built in May 1923.

Jekyl Island station

Jekyll Island station was originally built in 1901 as Barnum Island station on the south side of the northern Long Beach Road grade crossing The station was renamed as Jekyl Island station in 1903, and then renamed "Island Park" station in October 1921. Due to an increase in development on the south side of the island, the station was closed in July 1922 and the name was moved to the site of the old flag stop formerly known as "The Dykes." The site of the former Jekyl Island Station is now occupied by a residential cul-de-sac named D'Amato Drive, which is only accessible from Parente Lane North.

Station layout

This station has two slightly offset high-level

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, each 10 cars long. Parking is largely restricted to Island Park residents, with permits issued by the village.

References

External links

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Station from Long Beach Road from Google Maps Street ViewPlatforms from Google Maps Street ViewStation House (interior) from Google Maps Street View
{{LIRR stations navbox Long Island Rail Road stations in Nassau County, New York Railway stations in the United States opened in 1898 1898 establishments in New York (state)