Jamaica station

Two former stations existed in Jamaica prior to the current one, serving two different railroads. The first was the LIRR's original Jamaica Station ("Old Jamaica"), built c. 1836 as the terminus of the LIRR. It was remodeled in 1869 and again in 1872, only to be completely rebuilt between 1882–83 adjacent to and in use concurrently with the original depot. Covered platforms were later installed. "Old Jamaica" station at what is now 153rd Street (0.4 mile east of the present station) was razed in 1912 with the grade elimination project, the "Jamaica Improvements".

A map of the station in 1891

The other station known as Jamaica–Beaver Street was built by the South Side Railroad of Long Island on the Atlantic Branch. It opened on October 28, 1867. It was razed in 1871 and replaced on Christmas Day of the same year. When the LIRR acquired the SSRRLI in 1867, the depot was moved to the south side of Beaver Street crossing on a stub track. Low platforms for this station stop were located on the north side of Beaver Street crossing.[5] Timetables of the period show station stop as "Jamaica" for Atlantic Branch trains bound for Locust Avenue, Springfield, and Valley Stream, as "Old Southern Road" station. From 1908–1913, the station stop was listed as "Jamaica (Beaver Street)." Jamaica–Beaver Street station was razed with the grade elimination in 1913. No trace of the Jamaica–Beaver Street station exists today.

The present Jamaica station was designed by Kenneth M. Murchison[6] and built between 1912 and 1913 as a replacement for the two former stations in Jamaica. Both former stations were discontinued as station stops. The 1912–13 "Jamaica Improvement" was the final step in consolidating the branch lines of the LIRR. To the west of the station, Jay Interlocking was built, and to the east, Hall Interlocking was constructed. These interlockings allowed any line to reach any other line, allowing easy transfer between lines at Jamaica station, which is the hallmark of current day LIRR service.

When the new Jamaica station opened, residents of Jamaica were dissatisfied with its location; downtown Jamaica was centered around Union Hall Street, 0.6 miles (0.97 km) east of the new station at Sutphin Boulevard and Archer Avenue. The LIRR thus decided to add a new Union Hall Street station in 1913. (The Union Hall Street station closed on May 20, 1977.)[7]

After the merging of Beaver Street station with the new Jamaica Station, the LIRR built a replacement along the Atlantic/Far Rockaway Branch southeast of the former SSRRLI depot. It was named "South Street station" and was located on what is today South Road between 157th and 159th Streets. Originally the site of the "SJ Tower," which was used to keep trolleys and trains from colliding with one another until the grade crossing was eliminated in 1913, it was built on November 15, 1917. Due to the close proximity to Jamaica Station, the New York Public Service Commission granted them permission to close the station on March 28, 1922. It was finally closed in June of that year.[8]

On August 15, 1955, LIRR officials announced that it would install a complicated arrangement of signals and switches to the east of the station within two weeks for nearly $100,000 to allow eastbound express trains in the evening rush hour to bypass the station via the station's westbound tracks. The LIRR was in the process of planning improvements to the station's west to allow westbound express trains in the morning rush hour to run via the station's eastbound tracks.[9]

In September 1983, the LIRR announced that De Leuw, Cather & Company would complete a conceptual design for the construction of express bypass tracks through the station. As part of the $2.1 million contract, De Leuw would complete a conceptional design by September 1984, with final design and engineering to be completed by September 1985. The project, which would also study the consolidation of towers into a master tower, was intended to increase capacity and reduce train congestion.[10]

In 1986, the LIRR announced a $209 million renovation to the station complex to alleviate the bottleneck. As part of the plan, which would be funded in the proposed $8.3 billion 1987-1991 Capital Program, the station approaches would be modified to allow trains to use a greater number of tracks at increased speeds, platforms would be extended, an additional platform would be added. In addition, a new master tower would be constructed, replacing three older towers, and an express track would be installed through the middle of the station to allow trains bypassing the station to pass through at 45 miles per hour, instead of passing through at 15 miles per hour. In addition, a passenger overpass would be constructed. The project was expected to reduce travel times by two to seven minutes, increase capacity, allowing for increased rush hour service, and increase operating flexibility. The implementation of the plan was scheduled in eleven separate phases.[11][12] The plan would have rebuilt six miles of tracks on the Main Line between the Van Wyck Expressway and Bellerose, and construct a new southern platform.[13]

On July 13, 1987, LIRR officials announced that the station renovation would take two years longer than the initial plan, with completion now scheduled for 1993, and that the project's budget was increased from $213 million to $320 million. A third of the increased cost came from the addition of two years to the project, with some of the rest of the cost coming from underestimated labor and material costs. LIRR President Bruce McIver said that the initial timetable would have had too great of an impact on service performance. The project had been scheduled to start in 1988, but MTA President Robert Kiley said that he did not anticipate that the modified plans would be completed in time to start work then.[12] On September 14, 1987, it was announced that the cost of the project was increased further to $342.5 million. The plan for the project was split in two sections, with one in the 1987-1991 Capital Program, and the other in the 1992-1996 Capital Program. The first phase, which was slated to begin in 1988 and be completed by 1994 and would cost $192.5 million, would construct a new master control tower and a rider overpass, and install new signals and switches. The second phase, which would cost $150 million, would move platforms to provide space for the construction of westbound and eastbound express tracks through the station and build some elevated trackage. Work would begin after 1991 and be completed by 1999.[14]

In 1988, plans were announced for a $209 million station renovation that was expected to be completed in 1994. The project would add elevators, new staircases, overhauled platforms, new tracks, a second pedestrian overpass, and a second pedestrian bridge to be located at the eastern end of the station, connecting all the platforms. A lower-level concourse would be added to provide additional route for riders. Two connections were added to the new Archer Avenue Line.[15]

In April 1988, construction began on an $11.3 million overpass, which would be between the east end concourse and the west end of the platforms. The project would add elevators to the five platforms to make the station accessible, and an elevator between street level near the waiting room to the overpass.[16]

On September 11, 1989, the LIRR announced that it had dropped most of its planned reconstruction of Jamaica due to changes in commuting patterns and technology. $84 million would still be allocated for the construction of a pedestrian overpass and elevators, and for design and engineering work. Work on the elevators and overpass began in April 1988, and was expected to be completed in January 1990. The money saved from deferring most of the project would be used to offset overruns in the cost of improvements at Penn Station, and for other projects.[13]

The new steel and glass canopy

A $387 million renovation project began in 2001 and was completed in 2006. It was carried out in conjunction with the construction of AirTrain JFK's terminal (the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey contributed $100 million toward the project).[17]

The project had two goals. Passenger-oriented renovations included new platforms and a pedestrian bridge, a central elevator bank linking the LIRR to the street and to the Sutphin Boulevard subway station, a new mezzanine connecting to AirTrain and a new steel and glass canopy over the elevated tracks.[18] The focal point of the project was the Jamaica Control Center, built by Tishman Construction Corporation and Bechtel. The JCC houses the LIRR offices, railroad control center and MTA Police.[19] Overall, the renovations enlarged the station and have made it more modern and efficient, providing easier access to all eight LIRR tracks. The entire station complex, including AirTrain and the subway, is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). The project was named "2006 Project of the Year" by the Long Island branch of the American Society of Civil Engineers.[20]

Platform F construction in August 2019

As part of a series of LIRR readiness projects in preparation for the East Side Access extension to Grand Central Terminal, the MTA had adjusted track layouts at Jamaica station to straighten train paths and install high-speed switches. As part of the project, additional ladder tracks have been created, the E Yard track was extended over 150th Street, the East Layup Track was converted to be a through route. In addition, in February 2023, most Brooklyn service was converted into a shuttle service. This shuttle operates between Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn and Jamaica via the Atlantic Branch. A new Platform F and dedicated tracks were constructed south of the existing LIRR platforms at Jamaica station to serve the shuttles; most passengers traveling between Brooklyn and Long Island are required to make a walking transfer between this new platform and the existing platforms.[21]

This reconfiguration was designed to allow for increased service between Brooklyn and Jamaica and between Jamaica and Manhattan (up to a 40% increase in the latter case)[22] and reduce switching maneuvers, while raising average train speeds around Jamaica station from 15 to 30 miles per hour (24 to 48 km/h).[23] Service frequency was also increased for trains on the Atlantic Branch; trains run about every 8–9 minutes during rush hours[24] and every 20 minutes during off-peak hours.[25] However, the project has been criticized (both during construction and following the implementation of service changes)[24] because it eliminated most direct service from Long Island to Brooklyn, thereby increasing commute time between the two destinations.[23]

Entrance to tracks 11 and 12 on the new platform

Completion of Phase I, which includes the new platform, was originally projected for January 2018.[22] The completion date was later pushed back to July 2019,[26] but as of March 2019, is planned to be finished in 2021 at a cost of $380 million.[23] The platform itself was to be completed at the end of 2019, while the track and surrounding infrastructure would be completed in late 2020, and track interlockings would be completed by late 2021.[27]^: 37 The platform ultimately opened in February 2020 after several delays.[28] Additional improvements, to cost over $1 billion, were to be constructed starting as early as 2022;[23] designs for these improvements started in June 2017 and were scheduled to be completed in 2021.[27]^: 41

New York City Subway:

• Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport station on the Archer Avenue Line (E​, ​J, and ​Z trains)