Riverhead is a station along the Main Line (

Greenport Branch The Ronkonkoma Branch is a rail service operated by the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) in the U.S. state of New York. On LIRR maps and printed schedules, the "Ronkonkoma Branch" includes trains running along the railroad's Main Line from Hicksvil ...

) 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, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County on Long Island. With an average week ...

. It is located on Osborne Avenue and Railroad Street in

Riverhead, New York Riverhead is a town within Suffolk County, New York, United States, on the north shore of Long Island. Since 1727, Riverhead has been the county seat of Suffolk County, though most county offices are in Hauppauge. As of the 2020 census, the p ...

, north of NY 25 (West Main Street) and the Suffolk County Court House.

History

Riverhead station was opened on July 29, 1844. The station is listed as River Head in the 1852 timetable. The original station house was moved for use as a railroad bunkhouse in March 1870 and the second depot was opened the same month. Between 1891 and 1969, it contained a turntable, water tower, and pump house. The third depot was opened on June 2, 1910, but the agency was closed on November 13, 1972. The station house was used for signal maintainers until the end of the 20th century. Riverhead station was restored in 2000–2001 with a 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 platfo ...

and a fourth station house similar to 1910-built one, and it was sold to the Town of Riverhead in 2001. However, the station house has been closed to the public in response to a rash of vandalism, theft, and even misuse as a bathroom. The station house is owned by the Town of Riverhead and the MTA uses a high level platform and other amenities instead. The station is also near the west end of the Riverhead Restoration Site of the

Railroad Museum of Long Island The Railroad Museum of Long Island is a railway museum based on the North Fork, of Long Island, New York, in the United States. It has two locations, the main location in Riverhead, and a satellite location in Greenport, west of the North ...

. A collection of historic Long Island Rail Road cars and maintenance equipment can be found near the station.

Station layout

This station has one high-level

south of the tracks that is long enough for one and a half cars to receive and discharge passengers. The Main Line has two tracks at this location and a small yard with three tracks.

Nearby attractions

Long Island Aquarium and Exhibition Center Long Island Aquarium (formerly Atlantis Marine World) is an aquarium that opened in 2000 on Long Island in Riverhead, New York, United States. One of its biggest attractions is a coral reef display tank, which is one of the largest all-living ...

References

External links

Old Riverhead Station (Ron Ziel collection -- LIRR Unofficial History Website)Station entrance from Google Maps Street ViewOld Station House from Google Maps Street View
{{LIRR stations navbox Long Island Rail Road stations in Suffolk County, New York Riverhead (town), New York Railway stations in the United States opened in 1844 1844 establishments in New York (state)