Hempstead Branch

Hempstead Branch
Hempstead Branch train #757 enters Stewart Manor, due west to Brooklyn.
Overview
Status	Operational
Owner	Long Island Rail Road
Locale	Queens and Nassau County, New York, USA
Termini	Hillside Facility Hempstead
Stations	10
Service
Type	Commuter rail
System	Long Island Rail Road
Services	Hempstead Branch
Operator(s)	Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Ridership	3,271,387 (annual ridership, 2023)[1]
History
Opened	1873 (as part of the Central Railroad of Long Island)
Technical
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Third rail, 750 V DC
Route map Show interactive map Legend Main Line to Penn Station, Grand Central, or Long Island City Atlantic 9.3 mi 15 km Jamaica ​​​ Far Rockaway Long Beach via Atlantic Babylon West Hempstead via Montauk Hillside Facility 11.5 mi 18.5 km Hollis 13.2 mi 21.2 km Queens Village Queens Nassau Zone 3 Zone 4 Belmont Park Elmont–UBS Arena 14.3 mi 23 km Bellerose 14.9 mi 24 km Floral Park Main Line 16.3 mi 26.2 km Stewart Manor 17.3 mi 27.8 km Nassau Boulevard 18.4 mi 29.6 km Garden City Mitchel Field Secondary Oyster Bay Branch (former) 19.0 mi 30.6 km Country Life Press West Hempstead Branch (former) 19.8 mi 31.9 km Hempstead Distances shown from Long Island City This diagram: view talk edit Show route diagram map

The Hempstead Branch is an electrified rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch begins at the Main Line at Queens Interlocking, just east of Queens Village station. It parallels the Main Line past Bellerose to Floral Park, where it splits southward and continues east via the village of Garden City to Hempstead Crossing. There it turns south to the final two stations, Country Life Press and Hempstead.

LIRR maps and schedules show Hempstead Branch service continuing west along the Main Line to Jamaica. Hempstead Branch trains provide most service at Hollis and Queens Village.^[3][4] The line is double tracked to just east of Garden City Station, where it is reduced to one track at Garden Interlocking for the final 1.4 miles (2.3 km) to Hempstead station.