Rockville Centre station
{{short description|Long Island Rail Road station in Nassau County, New York}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox station
| name = Rockville Centre
| style = Long Island Rail Road
| style2 =
| image = Rockville Centre LIRR Station; Main Entrance.JPG
| image_caption = The Rockville Centre station's main entrance, along Front Street
| address = North Village Avenue & Front Street
Rockville Centre, New York
| coordinates = {{coord|40.6583|-73.6466|type:railwaystation_region:US-NY|display=inline,title}}
| line = Montauk Branch
| distance = {{convert|19.3|mi|km|abbr=on}} from {{lirrs|Long Island City}}{{cite web | title=TIMETABLE No. 4 | author=Long Island Rail Road | date= May 14, 2012 | accessdate=August 4, 2022 | url=http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirrhistoricaldata/LIRRTimeTable4_5-14-2012.pdf | page=IV}}
| other = {{bus icon|12px|Local Transit}} Nassau Inter-County Express: {{LI bus link|n4|n15|n16|n31x|Mercy Medical Community Shuttle}}
| platform = 1 island platform
| tracks = 2
| parking = Yes
| bicycle = Yes
| passengers = 7,530{{Cite web|url=http://web.mta.info/mta/planning/data/2012_LIRR_OD_Report_Volume_I_FINAL%2008232016.pdf#page=197|title=2012-2014 LIRR Origin and Destination Report : Volume I: Travel Behavior Among All LIRR Passengers|date=23 August 2016 |publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190717085537/http://web.mta.info/mta/planning/data/2012_LIRR_OD_Report_Volume_I_FINAL%2008232016.pdf|archive-date=17 July 2019|access-date=29 March 2020|at=PDF pp. 15, 197|quote=Data collection took place after the pretest determinations, starting in September 2012 and concluding in May 2014. .... 2012-2014 LIRR O[rigin and ]D[estination] COUNTS: WEEKDAY East/West Total By Station in Numerical Order}}
| pass_year = 2012—2014
| pass_rank = 12 of 125
| opened = {{start date and age|1867}} (SSRRLI)
| closed =
| rebuilt = 1881, 1901, 1950
| electrified = May 20, 1925
750 V (DC) third rail
| accessible = yes
| code =
| owned = Long Island Rail Road
| zone = 7
| services = {{Adjacent stations|system=LIRR|line=Babylon|left1=Lynbrook|right1=Baldwin|line2=Montauk|nonstop2=yes}}
| other_services_header = Former services
| other_services_collapsible = yes
| other_services = {{Adjacent stations|system=LIRR former|line=Montauk Division|left=Lynbrook|right=Baldwin}}
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-custom = {{Infobox mapframe |shape=none |line=none |marker=rail |marker-color={{rcr|LIRR|Babylon}} |zoom=14 }}
}}
Rockville Centre is a station along the Babylon Branch of the Long Island Rail Road in Rockville Centre, Nassau County, New York. It is officially located at North Village Avenue and Front Street, north of Sunrise Highway (NY 27) – but the station property spreads west to North Center Avenue and east to North Park Avenue.
Parking for the Rockville Centre station is available around the station for those with residential and non-residential permits issued by the Village of Rockville Centre. The station is east of the former Rockville Centre Bus Depot, and is located roughly {{convert|21.1|mi}} away from Penn Station.[http://lirr42.mta.info/sfweb/faces/station.jspx?name=106 Official MTA-LIRR Rockville Centre Station]
History
= Early history =
{{multiple image
| align = left
| direction = vertical
| total_width = 250
| image1 = Rockville Centre Station.jpg
| caption1 = A sign on the station's platform
| image2 = Rockville Centre LIRR Station; West to Valley Stream and Jamaica.JPG
| footer = The exposed, western end of the station's platform
}}
Rockville Centre station was originally built by the South Side Railroad of Long Island on September 23, 1867 and remodeled in July 1881.{{cite book |title=Long Island Rail Road: Babylon Branch |first=David D. |last=Morrison |date=2021 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing Incorporated |isbn=9781439671894 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kIUNEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA25 |access-date=June 5, 2024}}{{rp|25}} The station was rebuilt in 1901; the new depot opened on October 14 of that year.{{cite news |title=Rockville Centre's New Depot |date=October 14, 1901 |work=Times Union |page=9 |via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/555784841 |access-date=June 5, 2024}} The original station was moved to a private location that year and razed in 2004.[http://arrts-arrchives.com/ssrrrvc.html Old Rockville Centre Station photos (Arrt's Arrchives)]
= Grade crossing elimination project =
The second station was razed in 1949, as the first major phase of a project to elevate the Babylon Branch and eliminate its level crossings was completed. A temporary station was built southeast of the former location and began operation on April 19, 1949.{{cite news |title=RVC Rail Switch Over Ceremonies Tomorrow |date=April 18, 1949 |work=Newsday |page=21 |via=Newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/712376983 |access-date=June 5, 2024}}
Rockville Centre station was the site of a major railroad accident on February 17, 1950 that resulted in the deaths of 32 people, and serious injury of over 100 people.[http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirrwrecks/lirrwrecks.htm Long Island Rail Road Wrecks] This occurred nine months before a similar accident in Kew Gardens, Queens that killed 79 people, and injured hundreds more. The current elevated structure was opened on July 17–18, 1950.[http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/crossingeliminations/crossingeliminations.htm LIRR Grade Crossing Elimination Projects (TraisnAreFun.com)]
= Station renovation =
On August 2, 1982, work began on a $1.2 million project to extend the platform from {{Convert|800 to 1,000|feet|meters}} to accommodate 12-car trains. The concrete platform at the station would be completely replaced.{{Cite news|date=August 2, 1982|title=LIRR station project|work=New York Daily News|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81399555/rockville-centre-platform-extension/|access-date=July 15, 2021}} The project was to be done in multiple phases, and was scheduled to be completed in October 1983.{{Cite news|date=August 2, 1982|title=Project by LIRR to Begin|work=Newsday|location=Hempstead, New York|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81422709/rockville-centre-station/|access-date=July 15, 2021}} As part of the project, the bathrooms and waiting room at the station were repainted, the stairway to the west of the lower level waiting room was replaced, and a new stairway would be built at the far western end of the platform. In addition, an elevator was to be constructed at the station. In August 1983, the LIRR awarded the contract to construct the new stairway. A dedication ceremony for the project took place on January 25, 1984. At that time, the elevator was slated to be completed in spring 1984.{{Cite news|last=Ain|first=Stewart|date=January 26, 1984|title=LIRR praises 20-acre offer|work=New York Daily News|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/72643631/rockville-centre-improvement/|access-date=July 15, 2021}}{{Cite news|last=Bleyer|first=Bill|date=January 21, 1986|title=Work Resumes on Delayed Rail Stairway|work=Newsday|location=Hempstead, New York|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/81399918/rockville-centre/|access-date=July 15, 2021}}
In March 1985, the contract for the new stairway was cancelled since the manufacturer did not provide any design drawings. The contract was rebid and was awarded again in August 1985, with an estimated cost of $30,000. At the same time, the only existing staircase at the western end of the station had been removed, and would not be replaced until October 1985. Since the LIRR was unable to reduce the six-to-seven-month time period needed to fabricated the stairs, it was not able to get them installed by November 1985, and set a new completion date of February 1, 1986. In January 1986, work began on the installation of the new western stairway, but stopped after two days as the LIRR said the manufacturer made measurement mistakes. Work resumed later that month, and was expected to be completed by the end of the month.
Station layout
The station has one 12-car-long high-level island platform between the two tracks.
| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" border="0"
| rowspan="3" valign="top" style="border-top:solid 1px gray;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" |P Platform level | style="border-top:solid 1px gray;" |Track 1 | style="border-top:solid 1px gray;" |← {{rcb|LIRR|Babylon|inline=box}} Babylon Branch toward Atlantic Terminal, Grand Central Madison, or Penn Station ({{Lirrs|Lynbrook}}) ← {{rcb|LIRR|Montauk|inline=box}} Montauk Branch does not stop here |
| colspan="2" style="border-top:solid 2px black;border-right:solid 2px black;border-left:solid 2px black;border-bottom:solid 2px black;text-align:center;" |Island platform, doors will open on the left or right {{access icon}} |
| style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" |Track 2
| style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" |{{0|←}} {{rcb|LIRR|Babylon|inline=box}} Babylon Branch toward Babylon ({{Lirrs|Baldwin}}) → {{0|→}} {{rcb|LIRR|Montauk|inline=box}} Montauk Branch does not stop here → |
| width="50" style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" |G
| width="100" style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" |Ground level | width="425" style="border-bottom:solid 1px gray;border-bottom:solid 1px gray;" |Exit/entrance, parking, and buses |
In popular culture
Though some scenes from the 2004 movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind took place at Rockville Centre station, they were actually shot at Mount Vernon East station on the Metro-North Railroad New Haven Line.{{cite web|url=http://www.gradesaver.com/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/wikipedia/film-setting-and-location|title=Site about the film|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309043530/http://www.gradesaver.com/eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-mind/wikipedia/film-setting-and-locations/|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 9, 2012}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category-inline|Rockville Centre (LIRR station)}}
{{LIRR links}}
- [http://thelirrtoday.blogspot.com/2013/10/interlocking-walkthrough-rocky.html ROCKY Interlocking (The LIRR Today)]
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20121001213545/http://www.lirrhistory.com/mar2007/rvc04.jpg Rockville Centre Station Photo; March 11, 2007 (Unofficial LIRR History Website)]}}
- [http://trainsarefun.com/lirr/lirrtracknames.htm#RVC Rockville Centre Grade Project (TrainsAreFun.com)]
- [https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=40.658512,-73.647891&spn=0.003915,0.013658&z=17&layer=c&cbll=40.658509,-73.647757&panoid=--z_vOMJmWh6BpLFxdwg0w&cbp=12,21.6,,0,3.87 Village Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View]
- [https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=40.658463,-73.64581&spn=0.003915,0.013658&z=17&layer=c&cbll=40.658467,-73.645939&panoid=MqyFHItqzxzw1T9_oQFeBg&cbp=12,184.62,,0,0.69 Station House from Google Maps Street View]
- [https://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=40.658325,-73.644994&spn=0.003915,0.013658&z=17&layer=c&cbll=40.658236,-73.645002&panoid=ssS7ScaOclWHJ_Ha8_E2TA&cbp=12,100.84,,0,0.12 Park Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View]
{{LIRR stations navbox}}
Category:Long Island Rail Road stations in Nassau County, New York
Category:Railway stations in the United States opened in 1867