History and Description
The station originally opened in 1880 as a New York, Woodhaven and Rockaway Railroad station (although some sources claim it opened in June 1881), that was acquired by the Long Island Rail Road and became a station on the Rockaway Beach Branch. As a Long Island Rail Road station it served as one of two junctions between the Far Rockaway and Rockaway Beach Branches. The other junction was at Hammels Station, although it was originally a junction for the Far Rockaway Branch and the Ocean Electric Railway. Wooden shelter sheds were added to the station in 1921 and 1923. A fire on the trestle between this station and another one known as The Raunt forced the closure of both stations on May 23, 1950, as well as the entire Jamaica Bay trestle. By October 3, 1955, the entire Rockaway Beach Branch south of Ozone Park, and all of the Far Rockaway Branch west of Far Rockaway was purchased by the New York City Transit Authority, who reopened Broad Channel Station to subway service on June 28, 1956.
This station has two tracks and two side platforms, with a glass-enclosed crossover containing the waiting area and fare control. Entrance/exit is on the southbound side only, requiring northbound passengers to cross over.
Just to the north, the Rockaway Line gains two extra non-revenue tracks straddling the two revenue tracks; the 2 mile long western track is used as a test track, while the eastern track is used to relay shuttle trains. The eastern track is long enough for one full-length train and ends at a bumper block. Continuing north, the Rockaway Line crosses Jamaica Bay before reaching Howard Beach; the distance between the two stations is the longest between any two in the New York City Subway system. To the south, the Rockaway Line continues to the Rockaway peninsula, where it splits at Hammels Wye to allow service to both Far Rockaway – Mott Avenue and Rockaway Park – Beach 116th Street.
As Broad Channel is a small island with fewer than 3,000 residents, the station has the fourth-lowest ridership in the subway system as of 2011. However, it is the only transfer point for passengers to access the Rockaway Park Shuttle, from the A train, and most riders use it in this capacity.
The station and the adjacent segment of the Rockaway Line have suffered serious damage during Hurricane Sandy and are supposed to remain out of service for several months.
Read more about this topic: Broad Channel (IND Rockaway Line)
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