History UsefulNotes / LongIslandRailroad

* '''Ronkonkoma Branch:''' The only branch where the terminal is NOT in the branch's name, the Ronkonkoma is a high-volume branch straight down the middle of the island. It's a pretty boring branch west of Ronkonkoma (which is the electric section), but it's also the only line on the LIRR to serve a cemetery (at Pinelawn station). East of Ronkonkoma (which is served by diesel trains), the line is predominately rural, passing through pine barrens, farms and vineyards until the eastern terminus at Greenport[[note]]Also called the Greenport Branch[[/note]]. As such, due to those factors (as well as infrequent train service, with none on weekends outside of summer), it feels more like an Amtrak trip at points once you get that far. Ronkonkoma station itself is the busiest east of Jamaica (with about 17,000 riders a day) and serves [=MacArthur=] Airport, which is a major destination for Southwest Airlines.

* '''Penn Station:''' Originally built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1909, this station serves as the terminal for most electric trains, and is also serviced by UsefulNotes/NewJerseyTransit and UsefulNotes/{{Amtrak}}. It is located under Madison Square Garden (which promotes itself as the World's Most Famous Arena). The current Penn Station layout is actually from the 1960s, as the Pennsylvania Railroad was in bad financial shape, and, as such, sold the air rights above the station, which led to the demolition of the original building (which urban planners still want to rebuild)[[note]]The demolition of Penn Station is widely considered the catalyst for the movement to preserve historic buildings in the United States[[/note]]. On January 1, 2021 the Moynihan Train Hall opened across Eighth Avenue from Penn Station, providing access to the LIRR and Amtrak platforms (New Jersey Transit riders still have to use the old entrance that goes under Madison Square Garden). So not quite rebuilt, but still, progress.

* '''Atlantic Terminal:''' Playing second fiddle to the Manhattan terminals is this six-track underground terminal, located in Brooklyn. It has a mall on top of it, and is located across the street from the Barclays Center arena. As of February 2023, most service to Atlantic Terminal is provided by shuttle trains to and from Jamaica, as well as most trains on the West Hempstead Branch and some weekday trains from the Hempstead and Babylon branches.

* '''Grand Central Madison:''' Originally proposed in the early 1960s, this station opened in January 2023 after a 15 year long construction process, and brought LIRR service to East Midtown. The station is situated directly underneath Grand Central Terminal, the southern terminus of the Metro-North Railroad (the MTA's other commuter railroad, providing service to the Bronx, Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess Counties, and southern Connecticut), and has eight tracks split across two levels that are located over 140 feet below street level. [[https://youtu.be/tlywp4uypxw?si=iqaZd9UfyIyDaMVC This video]] provides a tour.

The Long Island Rail Road (also known as the LIRR) is a commuter railroad serving (as the name says) Long Island, New York. It is operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (better known as the MTA), the same transit agency that operates the UsefulNotes/{{New York City Subway}} and Metro-North Railroad. It wasn't always so; it was founded in 1834 as an independent company; as such, it became the bane of law students across America, as it got into quite a few notable lawsuits in the early 20th century--most notably ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palsgraf_v_Long_Island_Railroad_Co Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co.]]'', which ''every'' American law student reads and learns to hate and love for the complex beauty and beautiful complexity of Chief Judge Cardozo's opinion. Despite the changes in ownership, it has remained intact as a single unit with the same name ever since its founding--one of the few to have done so. It is also the only commuter rail system in the US to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about the system itself.

* '''Huntington:''' The third busiest station in Suffolk County, after Ronkonkoma and Babylon. Much like Ronkonkoma, almost all trains on the Port Jefferson branch terminate here, as Huntington is where electric trains stop and diesel trains begin.

* '''Hempstead Branch:''' This electrified branch is another short one. As with the Far Rockaway Branch, it's not really that interesting, so there's not much to say about it. Probably the most remarkable thing about it is that it has a station with the rather comical name of Country Life Press. It and the Central Branch used to be part of a larger rail line that went from Willets Point to Babylon.

The Long Island Rail Road (also known as the LIRR) is a commuter railroad serving (as the name says) Long Island, New York. It is operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (better known as the MTA), the same transit agency that operates the UsefulNotes/{{New York City Subway}} and Metro-North Railroad. It wasn't always so; it was founded in 1834 as an independent company; as such, it became the bane of law students across America, as it got into quite a few notable lawsuits in the early 20th century--most notably ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palsgraf_v_Long_Island_Railroad_Co Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co.]]'', which ''every'' American law student reads and learns to hate and love for the complex beauty and beautiful complexity of Chief Judge Cardozo's opinion. Despite the changes in ownership, it has remained intact as a single unit with the same name ever since its founding--one of the few to have done so. It is also the only commuter rail system in the US to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about the system itself.[[note]]The LIRR has a sister commuter rail service in the [[https://new.mta.info/agency/metro-north-railroad Metro North Railroad]], which for some reason doesn't get anywhere near the same press even though it carries around 50 million passengers a year. As the name indicates it serves areas north of the city and uses pretty similar rolling stock as the LIRR, but they aren't compatible with one another because they use different third rail systems.[[/note]]

The Long Island Rail Road (also known as the LIRR) is a commuter railroad serving (as the name says) Long Island, New York. It is operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (better known as the MTA), the same transit agency that operates the UsefulNotes/{{New York City Subway}} and Metro-North Railroad. It wasn't always so; it was founded in 1834 as an independent company; as such, it became the bane of law students across America, as it got into quite a few notable lawsuits in the early 20th century--most notably ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palsgraf_v_Long_Island_Railroad_Co Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co.]]'', which ''every'' American law student reads and learns to hate and love for the complex beauty and beautiful complexity of Chief Judge Cardozo's opinion. Despite the changes in ownership, it has remained intact as a single unit with the same name ever since its founding--one of the few to have done so. It is also the only commuter rail system in the US to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about the system itself.

* '''Far Rockaway Branch:''' This electrified branch is one of the shorter ones in the system. Nothing on this is really of interest, though Far Rockaway is the only full-time terminal (excluding the City Terminal Zone, of course) that is within the boundaries of UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity itself. The branch runs mostly through Nassau County, and then re-enters Queens to terminate at Far Rockaway. The branch used to operate further down the Rockaway Peninsula to Rockaway Park prior to 1955, when that track, as well as the disused Rockaway Beach Branch[[note]]A direct routing diverging from the Main Line at Rego Park that crossed Jamaica Bay on a long trestle and met up with the Far Rockaway Branch at Hammels Wye. The track across Jamaica Bay had been closed since part of the trestle caught fire in May 1950, and the LIRR, which was bankrupt at the time, did not see value in repairing the tracks.[[/note]], was sold to the city and converted for use by the UsefulNotes/NewYorkCitySubway. Today, the line from Mott Avenue to Hammels Wye (as well as part of the Rockaway Beach Branch) is served by the Far Rockaway branch of the A train, while the section from Hammels Wye to Rockaway Park is served by the Rockaway Park Shuttle and limited rush-hour A service.

* '''Hempstead Branch:''' This electrified branch is another short one. As with the Far Rockaway Branch, it's not really that interesting, so there's not much to say about it. It and the Central Branch used to be part of a larger rail line that went from Willets Point to Babylon.

* '''Montauk Branch:''' The longest branch in the system (in fact, the eastern end is closer to Boston than to New York), the Montauk Branch runs from Long Island City to Montauk, although the section west of Babylon is publicly classified as the Babylon Branch[[note]]This is because of the very long length of the branch, although the two sections of the line are very distinct - the western "Babylon Branch" section is electrified, fully elevated and has very frequent service to Penn Station, while the eastern section from Babylon to Montauk is diesel-powered, at ground level, with less frequent service[[/note]]. This branch serves the Hamptons (which is some of the most valuable real estate in the ''world''). This branch also has the last named train in the system (the ''Cannonball'', which goes nonstop from Penn to the Hamptons in the summer).

* '''Grand Central Madison:''' Originally proposed in the early 1960s, this station opened in January 2023 after a 15 year long construction process, and brought LIRR service to East Midtown. The station is situated directly underneath Grand Central Terminal, the southern terminus of the Metro-North Railroad (the MTA's other commuter railroad, providing service to the Bronx, Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess Counties, and southern Connecticut), and has eight tracks split across two levels that are located over 140 feet below street level.

* '''Hempstead Branch:''' This electrified branch is another short one. As with the Far Rockaway Branch, it's not really that interesting, so there's not much to say about it.

* '''Mets–Willets Point:''' On the Port Washington Branch; historically a limited-use station, but with an interesting history. It was originally built to serve the 1939 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and known as "World's Fair". In 1946, the park became the temporary site of the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations General Assembly, with the station renamed "United Nations". The station closed in 1952 once the UN moved to its permanent headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, but reopened under its original name in 1961. The station also served the 1964 World's Fair, and a pedestrian connection was built to provide direct access to the newly built Shea Stadium, home to the [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball New York Mets]] and [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague New York Jets]] (the Jets have since moved to the Meadowlands in UsefulNotes/NewJersey in 1984). The station was renamed "Shea Stadium" in 1966, and received its current name in 2009, after Shea Stadium was demolished and replaced by Citi Field.[[note]]It was supposed to be named Citi Field, but plans changed when [=CitiGroup=] refused to pay the MTA for the naming rights to the LIRR station and the adjacent subway station on the Flushing Line.[[/note]] In 2021, it was temporarily opened full-time to serve a [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic COVID-19 vaccination site]] at Citi Field. After a brief stint back as a limited-use station after Grand Central Madison opened, the MTA finally promoted it into a permanent full-time station in April 2023. It now provides year-round access to Citi Field, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and will eventually serve [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer New York City FC]]'s home stadium when it opens in 2027. Additionally, if approved, it and the subway station will be renovated as part of Mets owner Steve Cohen's plan to redevelop the Citi Field parking lot into a casino and entertainment center.

* '''Mets–Willets Point:''' On the Port Washington Branch; historically a limited-use station, but with an interesting history. It was originally built to serve the 1939 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and known as "World's Fair". In 1946, the park became the temporary site of the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations General Assembly, with the station renamed "United Nations". The station closed in 1952 once the UN moved to its permanent headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, but reopened under its original name in 1961. The station also served the 1964 World's Fair, and a pedestrian connection was built to provide direct access to the newly built Shea Stadium, home to the [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball New York Mets]] and [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague New York Jets]] (the Jets have long since moved to New Jersey). The station was renamed "Shea Stadium" in 1966, and received its current name in 2009, after Shea Stadium was demolished and replaced by Citi Field.[[note]]It was supposed to be named Citi Field, but plans changed when Citibank refused to pay the MTA for the naming rights to the LIRR station and the adjacent subway station on the Flushing Line.[[/note]] In 2021, it was temporarily opened full-time to serve a [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic COVID-19 vaccination site]] at Citi Field. After a brief stint back as a limited-use station after Grand Central Madison opened, the MTA finally promoted it into a permanent full-time station in April 2023. It now provides year-round access to Citi Field, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and will eventually serve [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer New York City FC's]] home stadium when it opens in 2027.

* '''Far Rockaway Branch:''' This electrified branch is one of the shorter ones in the system. Nothing on this is really of interest, though Far Rockaway is the only full-time terminal (excluding the City Terminal Zone, of course) that is within the boundaries of UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity itself. The branch runs mostly through Nassau County, and then re-enters Queens to terminate at Far Rockaway. The branch used to operate further down the Rockaway Peninsula to Rockaway Park prior to 1955, when that track, as well as the disused Rockaway Beach Branch[[note]]A direct routing diverging from the Main Line at Rego Park that crossed Jamaica Bay on a long trestle and met up with the Far Rockaway Branch at Hammels Wye. The track across Jamaica Bay had been closed since part of the trestle caught fire in May 1950, and the LIRR, being bankrupt, did not see value in repairing the tracks.[[/note]], was sold to the city and converted for use by the UsefulNotes/NewYorkCitySubway. Today, the line from Mott Avenue to Hammels Wye (as well as part of the Rockaway Beach Branch) is served by the Far Rockaway branch of the A train, while the section from Hammels Wye to Rockaway Park is served by the Rockaway Park Shuttle and limited rush-hour A service.

* '''Far Rockaway Branch:''' This electrified branch is one of the shorter ones in the system. Nothing on this is really of interest, though Far Rockaway is the only full-time terminal (excluding the City Terminal Zone, of course) that is within the boundaries of UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity itself. The branch runs mostly through Nassau County, and then re-enters Queens to terminate at Far Rockaway. The branch used to operate further down the Rockaway Peninsula to Rockaway Park prior to 1955, when that track, as well as the disused Rockaway Beach Branch[[note]]A direct routing diverging from the Main Line at Rego Park that crossed Jamaica Bay on a long trestle and met up with the Far Rockaway Branch at Hammels Wye. The track across Jamaica Bay had been closed since part of the trestle caught fire in May 1950, and the LIRR, being bankrupt, did not see value in repairing the tracks.[[/note]] were sold to the city and repurposed for use by the UsefulNotes/NewYorkCitySubway. Today, the line from Mott Avenue to Hammels Wye (as well as part of the Rockaway Beach Branch) is served by the Far Rockaway branch of the A train, while the section from Hammels Wye to Rockaway Park is served by the Rockaway Park Shuttle and limited rush-hour A service.

The Long Island Rail Road (also known as the LIRR) is a commuter railroad serving (as the name says) Long Island, New York. It is operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (better known as the MTA), the same entity that operates the UsefulNotes/{{New York City Subway}} and Metro-North Railroad. It wasn't always so; it was founded in 1834 as an independent company; as such, it became the bane of law students across America, as it got into quite a few notable lawsuits in the early 20th century--most notably ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palsgraf_v_Long_Island_Railroad_Co Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co.]]'', which ''every'' American law student reads and learns to hate and love for the complex beauty and beautiful complexity of Chief Judge Cardozo's opinion. Despite the changes in ownership, it has remained intact as a single unit with the same name ever since its founding--one of the few to have done so. It is also the only commuter rail system in the US to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about the system itself.

The Long Island Rail Road (also known as the LIRR) is a commuter railroad serving (as the name says) Long Island, New York. It is operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (better known as the MTA), which you may know as the company that operates the UsefulNotes/{{New York City Subway}}. It wasn't always so; it was founded in 1834 as an independent company; as such, it became the bane of law students across America, as it got into quite a few notable lawsuits in the early 20th century--most notably ''[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palsgraf_v_Long_Island_Railroad_Co Palsgraf v. Long Island Railroad Co.]]'', which ''every'' American law student reads and learns to hate and love for the complex beauty and beautiful complexity of Chief Judge Cardozo's opinion. Despite the changes in ownership, it has remained intact as a single unit with the same name ever since its founding--one of the few to have done so. It is also the only commuter rail system in the US to operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Now that we have that out of the way, let's talk about the system itself.

* '''City Terminal Zone:''' Not exactly a line per se, but a combination of all services west of Jamaica (barring the Port Washington, but that's because it doesn't go to Jamaica). The vast majority of trains normally flow into Manhattan, terminating either at Penn Station or Grand Central Madison, while Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn is primarily serviced by shuttle trains from Jamaica as well as most West Hempstead Branch trains. Some trains only go as far as Jamaica, while Long Island City is only served by diesel trains (which aren't permitted to travel to Penn Station) during rush hour.

* '''Babylon Branch:''' This is the most used branch in the system (about 60,000 riders on the average weekday). This branch is entirely electrified, and also completely elevated, because it runs next to a major highway, which means it was unsafe to keep at ground level. This branch is actually physically part of the Montauk Branch (See below), although it is classified as a different service.

* '''Far Rockaway Branch:''' This electrified branch is one of the shorter ones in the system. Nothing on this is really of interest, though Far Rockaway is the only full-time terminal (excluding the City Terminal Zone, of course) that is within the boundaries of UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity itself.[[note]]The branch runs mostly through Nassau County, and then goes back into New York City for the final stop. The branch used to operate further down the Rockaway Peninsula prior to 1955, when that track was sold to the city and repurposed for use by the UsefulNotes/NewYorkCitySubway. Today, it's utilized by the Far Rockaway branch of the A train, as well as the Rockaway Park Shuttle.[[/note]]

** This branch is, interestingly, a critical element of ''Film/EternalSunshineOfTheSpotlessMind''. It even opens with the lovers meeting on the platform in Montauk waiting for a New York-bound train, and both are going to Rockville Centre.

* '''Port Washington Branch:''' An odd branch in the system (it's the only one that does NOT go to Jamaica), the Port Washington is completely electric, and is almost completely grade-separated (the only grade crossing is at Little Neck, which is also the last grade crossing in New York City on any passenger railroad). The line has the highest bridge in the system (between Great Neck and Manhasset). Great Neck station was also the inspiration for West Egg station in ''Literature/TheGreatGatsby''.

* '''Penn Station:''' Originally built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1909, this station serves as the terminal for most electric trains, and is also serviced by UsefulNotes/NewJerseyTransit and UsefulNotes/{{Amtrak}}. It is located under Madison Square Garden (which promotes itself as the World's Most Famous Arena). The current Penn Station layout is actually from the 1960s, as the Pennsylvania Railroad was in bad financial shape, and, as such, sold the air rights above the station, which led to the demolition of the original building (which urban planners still want to rebuild)[[note]]The demolition of Penn Station is widely considered the catalyst for the movement to preserve historic buildings in the United States[[/note]]. On January 1, 2021 the Moynihan Train Hall opened across 8th Avenue from Penn Station, providing access to the LIRR and Amtrak platforms (New Jersey Transit riders still have to use the old entrance that goes under Madison Square Garden). So not quite rebuilt, but still, progress.

* '''Grand Central Madison:''' Originally proposed in the early 1960s, this station opened in January 2023 after a 15 year long construction process, and brought LIRR service to East Midtown. The station is situated directly underneath Grand Central Terminal, the southern terminus of Metro-North (the MTA's other commuter railroad, providing service to the suburbs in Westchester County and Connecticut), and has eight tracks split across two levels that are located over 140 feet below street level.

* '''Hicksville:''' The busiest station in Nassau County. Some trains terminate here on weekdays.

* '''Mets–Willets Point:''' On the Port Washington Branch; historically a limited-use station, but with an interesting history. It was originally built to serve the 1939 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and known as "World's Fair". In 1946, the park became the temporary site of the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations General Assembly, with the station renamed "United Nations". The station closed in 1952 once the UN moved to its permanent headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, but reopened under its original name in 1961. The station also served the 1964 World's Fair, and a pedestrian connection was built to provide direct access to the newly built Shea Stadium, home to the [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueBaseball New York Mets]] and [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague New York Jets]] (the Jets have long since moved to New Jersey). The station was renamed "Shea Stadium" in 1966, and received its current name in 2009, after Shea Stadium had been torn down and replaced by Citi Field.[[note]]It was supposed to be named Citi Field, but plans changed when Citibank refused to pay the MTA for the naming rights to the station.[[/note]] In 2021, it was temporarily opened full-time to serve a [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic COVID-19 vaccination site]] at Citi Field. After a brief stint back as a limited-use station after Grand Central Madison opened, the MTA finally promoted it into a permanent full-time station in April 2023. It now provides year-round access to Citi Field, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and will eventually serve [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer New York City FC's]] home stadium when it opens in 2027.

* '''Mets–Willets Point:''' On the Port Washington Branch; historically a limited-use station, but with an interesting history. It was originally built to serve the 1939 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and known as "World's Fair". In 1946, the park became the temporary site of the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations General Assembly, with the station renamed "United Nations". The station closed in 1952 once the UN moved to its permanent headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, but reopened under its original name in 1961. The station also served the 1964 World's Fair, and a pedestrian connection was built to provide direct access to the newly built Shea Stadium, home to the [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams New York Mets]] and [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague New York Jets]] (the Jets have long since moved to New Jersey). The station was renamed "Shea Stadium" in 1966, and received its current name in 2009, after Shea Stadium had been torn down and replaced by Citi Field.[[note]]It was supposed to be named Citi Field, but plans changed when Citibank refused to pay the MTA for the naming rights to the station.[[/note]] In 2021, it was temporarily opened full-time to serve a [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic COVID-19 vaccination site]] at Citi Field. After a brief stint back as a limited-use station after Grand Central Madison opened, the MTA finally promoted it into a permanent full-time station in April 2023. It now provides year-round access to Citi Field, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and will eventually serve [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer New York City FC's]] home stadium when it opens in 2027.

* '''Mets–Willets Point:''' On the Port Washington Branch; historically a limited-use station, but with an interesting history. It was originally built to serve the 1939 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and known as "World's Fair". In 1946, the park became the temporary site of the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations General Assembly, with the station renamed "United Nations". The station closed in 1952 once the UN moved to its permanent headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, but reopened under its original name in 1961. The station also served the 1964 World's Fair, and a pedestrian connection was built to provide direct access to the newly built Shea Stadium, home to the [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams New York Mets]] and [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague New York Jets]] (the Jets have long since moved to New Jersey). The station was renamed "Shea Stadium" in 1966, and received its current name in 2009, after Shea Stadium had been torn down and replaced by Citi Field. In 2021, it was temporarily opened full-time to serve a [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic COVID-19 vaccination site]] at Citi Field. After a brief stint back as a limited-use station after Grand Central Madison opened, the MTA finally promoted it into a permanent full-time station in April 2023. It now provides year-round access to Citi Field, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and will eventually serve [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer New York City FC's]] home stadium when it opens in 2027.

* '''Mets–Willets Point:''' On the Port Washington Branch; historically a limited-use station, but with an interesting history. It was originally built to serve the 1939 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and known as "World's Fair". In 1946, the park became the temporary site of the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations General Assembly, with the station renamed "United Nations". The station closed in 1952 once the UN moved to its permanent headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, but reopened under its original name in 1961. The station also served the 1964 World's Fair, and a pedestrian connection was built to provide direct access to the newly built Shea Stadium, home to the [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams New York Mets]] and [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague New York Jets]] (the Jets have long since moved to New Jersey). The station was renamed "Shea Stadium" in 1966, and received its current name in 2009, after Shea Stadium had been torn down and replaced by Citi Field. In 2021, it was temporarily opened full-time to serve a [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic COVID-19 vaccination site]] at Citi Field. After a brief stint back as a limited-use station after Grand Central Madison openned, the MTA finally promoted it into a permanent full-time station in April 2023. It now provides year-round access to Citi Field, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and will eventually serve [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer New York City FC's]] home stadium when it opens in 2027.

* '''Mets–Willets Point:''' On the Port Washington Branch; historically a limited-use station, but with an interesting history. It was originally built to serve the 1939 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and known as "World's Fair". In 1946, the park became the temporary site of the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations General Assembly, with the station renamed "United Nations". The station closed in 1952 once the UN moved to its permanent headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, but reopened under its original name in 1961. The station also served the 1964 World's Fair, and a pedestrian connection was built to provide direct access to the newly built Shea Stadium, home to the [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams New York Mets]] and [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague New York Jets]] (the Jets have long since moved to New Jersey). The station was renamed "Shea Stadium" in 1966, and received its current name in 2009, after Shea Stadium had been torn down and replaced by Citi Field. In 2021, it was temporarily opened full-time to serve a [[UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic COVID-19 vaccination site]] at Citi Field. After a brief stint back as a limited-use station after Grand Central Madison openned, the MTA finally promoted it into a permanent full-time station in April 2023. It now provides year round access to Citi Field, the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and will eventually serve [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer New York City FC's]] home stadium when it opens in 2027.

* '''Grand Central Madison:''' Originally proposed in the early 1960s, this station opened in 2023 after a 15 year long construction process, and brought LIRR service to East Midtown. The station is situated directly underneath Grand Central Terminal, the southern terminus of Metro-North (the MTA's other commuter railroad, providing service to the suburbs in Westchester County and Connecticut), and has eight tracks split across two levels that are located over 140 feet below street level.

* '''Mets–Willets Point:''' On the Port Washington Branch; currently a limited-use station, but with an interesting history. It was originally built to serve the 1939 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park, and known as "World's Fair". In 1946, the park became the temporary site of the UsefulNotes/UnitedNations General Assembly, with the station renamed "United Nations". The station closed in 1952 once the UN moved to its permanent headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, but reopened under its original name in 1961. The station also served the 1964 World's Fair, and a pedestrian connection was built to provide direct access to the newly built Shea Stadium, home to the [[UsefulNotes/MLBTeams New York Mets]] and [[UsefulNotes/NationalFootballLeague New York Jets]] (the Jets have long since moved to New Jersey). The station was renamed "Shea Stadium" in 1966, and received its current name in 2009, after Shea Stadium had been torn down and replaced by Citi Field. The station is now open only for Mets home games, the US Open in tennis (held at Flushing Meadows), other special events, and emergencies. It will also be open for [[UsefulNotes/MajorLeagueSoccer New York City FC]] home games once that team's new Willets Point stadium opens in 2027. However, the proposed [=AirTrain LaGuardia=], which would connect [=LaGuardia=] Airport to the LIRR and NYC Subway, would connect with the LIRR here.

->''"This is the train to: PENN STATION. The next station is: WOODSIDE. *BING-BONG*"''