Wantagh (LIRR station)

Wantagh
South Track at Wantagh Station as an eastbound M7 train arrives
Location	Wantagh & Railroad Avenues Wantagh, New York
Coordinates	40°40′23″N 73°30′33″W / 40.672937°N 73.509098°W / 40.672937; -73.509098Coordinates: 40°40′23″N 73°30′33″W / 40.672937°N 73.509098°W / 40.672937; -73.509098
Owned by	Long Island Rail Road
Line(s)	Babylon Branch
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Construction
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	7
History
Opened	1867 (SSRRLI)
Rebuilt	1885, 1966–1967
Electrified	May 20, 1925 750 V (DC) third rail
Previous names	Ridgewood (1867–1891)
Traffic
Passengers (2006)	5,781
Services
Preceding station   LIRR   Following station Bellmore toward New York terminals Babylon Branch Seaford toward Babylon

Wantagh is a station on the Babylon Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. It is located on Wantagh Avenue and Railroad Avenue near NY 27 (Sunrise Highway) in Wantagh, New York. It is commonly used as a terminal and origin for some Babylon branch trains during the rush hours.

Wantagh station was originally named Ridgewood station and was built as a South Side Railroad of Long Island depot between 1867 and 1875. The station was replaced in 1885 and renamed "Wantagh" in 1891. Like so many stations along the Babylon-Montauk Branch, the original grade-level station was decommissioned when the current elevated stationed opened on October 22, 1968 after construction from 1966-1968. The elevated station opened the same day as Seaford and were identical in design. The former station was restored as part of the Wantagh Museum in 1969 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. It was one of many that were elevated throughout Nassau and Western Suffolk counties from the 1950s continuing through the 1970s.

Following the completion of Massapequa station's renovation, Wantagh is set to receive a full renovation very similar to what was done at Seaford in 2009. Plans include demolishing and rebuilding the platform, replacing escalators, staircases, lighting, canopies, and waiting areas in addition to adding an elevator, making that station wheelchair accessible. The official project of renovating the station started in late June 2016 and is expected to be complete by 2018.

This station has one twelve-car-long high-level island platform between the two tracks, serving trains in both directions.

Wantagh receives service from trains on the Babylon Branch with inbound service towards New York City and outbound service towards Babylon. In the inbound direction, trains to Penn Station in Manhattan depart at 15-minute intervals during peak hours and half-hour intervals during off-peak hours. Local trains take about 53 minutes to arrive at Penn Station at an average of 31.5 mph (50.7 km/h) while express trains take only 48 minutes at 34.8 mph (56.0 km/h). Connections to the other inbound terminals, Atlantic Terminal and Long Island City, are available at Jamaica.