Elmont/Belmont Race Track Station

[Kelly&Kelly]

The MTA announced today that New York State will open a new station on the Hempstead Branch to serve the Belmont Park development. Belmont Park is about 3/4 mile from the proposed station and buses will operate between the station and the complex. The new Elmont station will actually be sited just east of the Cross Island Parkway in the community of Bellerose Terrace.

Elmont will be the first new station constructed since Southampton College was opened in the early 1970's. The last station to open in electrified territory was Massapequa Park in 1933.

[ADL6009]

They will need to add some switches in queens right? Coming west from bellrose I don’t think you would be able to platform a train on ML3 where the station is supposed to be.

[NIMBYkiller]

This really is such a waste of time and money. They might as well just bus the people in from Queens Village since a bus connection is still going to be necessary anyway.

[Head-end View]

Lots of logistics involved here. I won't be surprised if this station never gets built. It's another one of Cuomo's pet projects right? Well he could be out of office before any of this gets finalized and comes to fruition. And in that case, the plan might get radically downsized/changed or fall by the wayside altogether. Stay tuned............

[nyandw]

Lots of logistics involved here. I won't be surprised if this station never gets built. It's another one of Cuomo's pet projects right? Well he could be out of office before any of this gets finalized and comes to fruition. And in that case, the plan might get radically downsized/changed or fall by the wayside altogether. Stay tuned............

Pre-cable TV announcements...

[nyrmetros]

Any updates?

[Pensyfan19]

Construction for Elmont to start soon and is expected to have the first platform open by fall of 2021 and completion is slated for the end of 2022!

https://www.amodernli.com/construction- ... at-elmont/

[Pensyfan19]

Platforms are now being placed for Elmont. That makes three stations within one mile of track in Queens between Bellerose and Queens Village, although I think that this station will be "seasonal" in the sense that trains will only stop there of there is an event at the new stadium or racetrack, so this way trains can continue along the mainline without going into the wye (and gives more room for the maintenance crew to store cars).

https://www.amodernli.com/platforms-pla ... t-station/

[njtmnrrbuff]

I believe that the Elmont Station will be open year round.

[JamesRR]

I can't recall now - is the Belmont Racetrack station closing in lieu of this new Elmont station, or are they going to only open the Racetrack spur for race days?

[Backshophoss]

Belmont is open during the racing season at the track,and cheaper send in boxcars of hay and feed than trucking that thru the city..

[CTG]

I'm still baffled by the concept of placing a station in this location.

From what I understand of the current track configurations, it will be served by eastbound Hempstead branch trains, but cannot be served by westbound Hempstead branch trains and will have to be served by westbound trains on the Main Line instead.

That isn't necessarily a problem for people traveling to and from points west of the station, but the entire point of the station is to provide access for people attending NY Islander games at the new arena. Islander fans, for the most part, live on Long Island. So how will they travel to the new arena on the LIRR? Coming from a Ronkonkoma or Huntington branch station, one would have direct LIRR service to Elmont for a shuttle bus connection on their way to the game. On their way home from the game they would have to take a shuttle bus to Elmont, then catch a once-an-hour train to Floral Park to then transfer to their branch line train?

Perhaps with the third track configuration at Floral Park there will be a way to get from the eastbound Hempstead track to the Main Line?

[Head-end View]

Unless some changes are made at Floral Park Station, you'd have to descend the stairs to street level and then go up the stairs (or elevator?) to the middle platform to access an eastbound main-line train.

[CTG]

Thinking about it some more, I assume they must be planning to put in a switch in between Bellerose and Floral Park from the Hempstead branch eastbound track to the current Hempstead westbound track, which will allow trains to then continue eastbound on the Main Line via the third track at Floral Park.

I don't see any way a westbound Hempstead branch is able to get to the northern platform at Elmont, though.

I'm usually as pessimist about things -- so maybe I'm just not seeing it, but I just think this station is going to be massively underused compared to the projections that have been made.

[li7039]

I'm still baffled by the concept of placing a station in this location.

From what I understand of the current track configurations, it will be served by eastbound Hempstead branch trains, but cannot be served by westbound Hempstead branch trains and will have to be served by westbound trains on the Main Line instead.

That isn't necessarily a problem for people traveling to and from points west of the station, but the entire point of the station is to provide access for people attending NY Islander games at the new arena. Islander fans, for the most part, live on Long Island. So how will they travel to the new arena on the LIRR? Coming from a Ronkonkoma or Huntington branch station, one would have direct LIRR service to Elmont for a shuttle bus connection on their way to the game. On their way home from the game they would have to take a shuttle bus to Elmont, then catch a once-an-hour train to Floral Park to then transfer to their branch line train?

Perhaps with the third track configuration at Floral Park there will be a way to get from the eastbound Hempstead track to the Main Line?

The idea that islander fans in mass will take the train to the arena is another pipe dream. All the folks who currently drive to the coliseum for games will continue to drive to UBS arena. The handful of fans that come from the city probably won't have much issue with the whole hempstead train one way and mainline train the other way since they're going back to BK or Penn. One of the biggest complaints from fans about Barclays was having to take the train, its more expensive, and having to stick to a schedule isn't for everyone.