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Main Line third track (Long Island Rail Road)

LIRR Main Line
LIRR Main Line from Grand Av overpass jeh.jpg
At the Grand Avenue overpass
Overview
Type Commuter rail
System Long Island Rail Road
Status Operational
Locale Long Island, New York, USA
Termini Long Island City
Greenport
Stations 29 passenger, 1 employee-only
Services
Operation
Owner Long Island Rail Road
Operator(s) Long Island Rail Road
Technical
Track gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm)
Electrification 750 V (DC) third rail
(west of Ronkonkoma)

Highlighted route is the Northeast Corridor, owned by Amtrak
and is not part of the LIRR Main Line.
Distances shown in miles from Pennsylvania Station.

The Main Line is a rail line owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. It begins in Long Island City and runs along the middle of Long Island about 95 miles (153 km) to Greenport. A mile east of Long Island City (east of Hunterspoint Avenue) the four tracks of the East River Tunnels join the two tracks from Long Island City; most Main Line trains use those tunnels rather than running to or from Long Island City.

Continuing east, five branches split from the Main Line; in order from west to east, they are:

Public timetables refer to the Main Line east of Hicksville as the Ronkonkoma Branch.

Trains on the Main Line between Long Island City and Ronkonkoma are governed by Automatic Block and Interlocking Signals and by Automatic Train Control (known as Automatic Speed Control by the LIRR). East of Ronkonkoma to Greenport trains operate in non-signaled dark territory, with all train movements being governed by train orders and timetable authority.

The Main Line has two tracks from just east of Long Island City to Harold Interlocking (HAROLD, 0.6 miles (0.97 km) northwest of the Woodside station), where the four track Northeast Corridor from Penn Station in Manhattan joins the Main Line after passing through the East River Tunnels. East of HAROLD, the four-track Main Line runs adjacent to the two-track Port Washington Branch until, 0.7 miles (1.1 km) southeast of the Woodside station, the Port Washington Branch turns northeastward. The Main Line continues southeast with four tracks to JAY Interlocking where it meets the Atlantic Branch and Montauk Branch at the west end of Jamaica station. Eight platform tracks and two bypass tracks pass Jamaica station, along with a few yard tracks and two former freight tracks on the south side that can be used by trains bypassing Jamaica. At HALL Interlocking just east of the station there are eight through tracks: two usually westward tracks for Main Line and Montauk trains, two Atlantic Branch tracks that are about to duck under and turn southeast, two usually eastward Main Line/Montauk tracks, and the two former freight tracks on the south side of Hall tower.


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Wikipedia

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