Central Branch (Long Island Rail Road)

The Central Branch is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) in the U.S. state of New York, extending from 40°44′02″N 73°28′12″W / 40.734°N 73.470°W / 40.734; -73.470 just east of Bethpage to 40°41′46″N 73°20′28″W / 40.696°N 73.341°W / 40.696; -73.341 just west of Babylon. It was built in 1873 as part of the Babylon Extension of the Central Railroad of Long Island (CRRLI), which was owned by Alexander Turney Stewart. The branch was mostly unused following the 1876 merger of the CRRLI and the LIRR, but in 1925 it was rebuilt and reconfigured to connect the Main Line (Ronkonkoma Branch service) at Beth Interlocking southeast of the Bethpage station with the Montauk Branch (Babylon Branch service) at Belmont Junction west of the Babylon station. This allowed non-electric Montauk Branch trains that begin or end east of Babylon to use the Main Line from Bethpage to Jamaica. The branch is colored as part of the Ronkonkoma Branch on some LIRR maps, but these trains are shown on Babylon and Montauk Branch timetables.