Why no direct Stamford, CT to Jamaica, NY service?

this one has me stuck in kind of pickle. I wanna be able to travel for cheap and the best way is out from Kennedy airport. I was curious. does any of know why their was never or isn't any train service from Stamford to jamaca Station. If there was i bet their would be some interest because you could connect to the Airport VIA AirTran. Was their or is their ever talks of any train service?
without it i was also curious whats the fastest way to do it right now?

Either take an express train to GCT and then go across 42 st and take the airport shuttle bus or use CT Airport shuttle from stamford.

I think you might be onto something, given the proliferation of reverse commuting and intra-suburb commuting these days. But the technical and political issues would likely preclude a "plug and play" solution.

I for one would be interested, assuming service was regular and relatively quick.

NH Chris

Can you imaging getting a MN train from Stamford going over the Hellgate Bridge connecting with the LIRR main line and then the Rockaway Beach branch directly to JFK. Never happen, too many politicians, too many egos and too many railroad rules. Forgetaboutit, You'll never get there from there

It would be easier to buy a jetpack from the rocketeer than institute direct Stamford-Jamaica service.

As of right now, service would have to run down MNCR to Hell Gate, which is Amtrak's and not MN's, needing a new agreement, then into NYP, needing new agreements, change direction and head back out the same way it came in, and operate on third rail to Jamaica.

And I can never get this straight, but certain NYC-area roads have different third-rail configs than others. There might be compatibility probs there. There's also a nominal voltage diff between MN and LIRR, so that might be two strikes against MN and LIRR third-rail compatibility that would be necessary for direct Stamford-Jamaica service.

theozno- Stamford, CT is served by Metro-North, through contract with Connecticut DOT. Jamaica is served by the LIRR. The two railroads do not connect, you'd be involving a third entity- Amtrak between SHELL and HAROLD. Two states, three railroads, five agencies (MTA, LIRR, MN, CDOT, Amtrak), physical complications with equipment, tricky labor negotiations, and already your idea is destined for the political graveyard.

My opinion: Just because there are rails does not mean there is a motivation, funds, equipment, crews, schedule slots, or a need.

-otto-

i've done it a few times

take train to gct. subway to penn. lirr to jamaica and then air train. it isn't fast but it gets the job done

Otto:
In this day and age wouldn't be a little easier to make this happen with MTA LIRR and MN kinda all being the same organisation? I can understand CDOT being seperate from this mix. Be nice to Be able to take the train to Jones beach (excluding the bus) with only 1 transfer at jamaca...

Otto Vondrak wrote:theozno- Stamford, CT is served by Metro-North, through contract with Connecticut DOT. Jamaica is served by the LIRR. The two railroads do not connect, you'd be involving a third entity- Amtrak between SHELL and HAROLD. Two states, three railroads, five agencies (MTA, LIRR, MN, CDOT, Amtrak), physical complications with equipment, tricky labor negotiations, and already your idea is destined for the political graveyard.

My opinion: Just because there are rails does not mean there is a motivation, funds, equipment, crews, schedule slots, or a need.

-otto-

Under the present set-up, a fast and decent through service between
points on the former New Haven Railroad and the Long Island Rail Road
is simply not possible. A considerable amount of time would be lost while
the operating ends are changed somewhere around Long Island City. This
operation would most likely result in a crew change in the process too and
there is no really ideal location to try to do this in the area without a loss
of time. Brake tests, cab signal tests etc would also be part of the process
and increase the time it took to make the move.
Probably the best way by rail transportation from Stamford to Jamaica
would be to take an express to GCT, the no. 7 train to Woodside and then
a LIRR train to Jamaica. It would also be possible to stay on the no. 7
train for two more stops to 74th Street and change for an E train which
would take you right to the LIRR station at Jamaica. Either route would be
faster than trying to run a through train from Stamford to Jamaica.
As was pointed out by others, the mere existance of railroad tracks does
not make a practical passenger route.
Noel Weaver

"In this day and age wouldn't be a little easier to make this happen with MTA LIRR and MN kinda all being the same organisation?"

theonzo- no, it actually makes it harder, that's what we have been trying to explain to you. And you left out Amtrak. And CDOT.

It would be easier getting the Beatles back together

Well, as it turns out, some people are working on it;
try contacting the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility
(IRUM) George Haikalis [[email protected]] (I hope he doesn't mind my posting his email on the web.) They're trying to get the Rockaway line re-opened. Also, I asked him about direct Stamford-Jamaica service. He said they'd like to do it, but as many of you know, there would have to be new trackwork either at Sunnyside yard to make the connection, or along the rail branch that goes off from the NEC south of the Hell Gate Bridge. Haikalis says that the interim goal is to have a transfer station at Sunnyside; then, if that gets good ridership, they would then try to make the direct connection. However, he is aware of the problems of coordinating
separate transit agencies; that's the main reason ARC doesn't go to Grand Central!

trainhq wrote:They're trying to get the Rockaway line re-opened.

I live 2 blocks from a former station on the Rockaway line. Nothing would make me happier than to be able to get on the train 2 blocks from home, to go to work. But anyone who thinks they'll be able to overcome the NIMBYs of Forest Hills and Rego Park and reopen the Rockaway branch to any kind of rail service is dreaming. It will never happen. Never mind that the ROW has been encroached in one spot (although it's just a parking lot) and the bridge over the Montauk Branch is gone. They're wasting their time if they think it will be reopened.

And now we've gone WAY off-topic.

Jim

Pbolo714 wrote:i've done it a few times

take train to gct. subway to penn. lirr to jamaica and then air train. it isn't fast but it gets the job done

If you're going to get on the subway, you might as well take the 6 to the E and ride the E to Jamaica. It's faster and cheaper than going to Penn. There's also a bus service right outside GCT that'll give you a one seat ride to the airport.

What everybody seems to be forgetting is the simple logistics of this. I am not even talking about the politics.

Suppose that by some sort of miracle, or lack thereof, depending on your perspective, the necessary political and physical issues were overcome (cab signals, power compatibility, Harold layout, etc). Now you can run trains direct between Stamford and Jamaica. But, which trains do you run like that? You must realize that the ONLY people who would take them would be people traveling between Stamford/Lower Westchester and LI or the airport. NO ONE ELSE. No one would use it to get between Stamford and Manhattan (and don't say change at Jamaica!). This MIGHT work if all flights left at one time, and everyone who would want such a service would be traveling at once. But that is not the case. The airport is in use 24/7, and people would want this service 24/7. Unfortunately, not enough people would ever want to use it at any given time to make it feasible. And don't say to reroute existing Stamford-GCT trains there, as that would simply take trains away from where they are needed.


Also, it is kind of assinine to go to this much trouble when only ONE of MNR's THREE lines would benefit. You ask why there is no Stamford-Jamaica service. I could just as easily ask why there isn't any White Plains-Jamaice service!


Just wait a few years, then walk downstairs at GCT to transfer to a train to Jamaica!


A lot of people seem to think that they are entitled to have a one seat ride from home to wherever they want to go. Well, I am sorry, this is not the purpose of public transportation. The purpose is to move people along the routes that the masses demand (i.e. into and out of the city). And, as things exist today, you CAN get from anywhere on MNR to JFK, you just have to change trains a couple times. You say that you want to do it cheap, well, you currently can, but you have to pay for that in time and the use of your legs. If you don't like that, drive. If you don't have a car, well, I am sorry, but it is not the responsibility of the government to bend over backwards to get people specific places fast and cheaply.