Hempstead Branch

The original Hempstead Branch of the LIRR ran south from Mineola, ending just west of the current terminal in Hempstead.[3] It opened on July 4, 1839, as the first branch of the LIRR.[4]

The Central Railroad of Long Island opened from Flushing east to Hempstead Crossing and south to Hempstead on January 8, 1873; the main line east from Hempstead Crossing opened later that year on May 26.[5] CRRLI extended their line east to Bethpage, Farmingdale, and Babylon resulting in the creation of their own Hempstead Branch running parallel to the one owed by the LIRR. The Central Railroad's successor, the Flushing, North Shore and Central Railroad, was leased to the LIRR on May 3, 1876, and in June a connection at Hempstead Crossing was built, allowing trains from Mineola to use the ex-Central's Hempstead Branch; the original LIRR Hempstead Branch was abandoned south of Hempstead Crossing.[6]

Covert Avenue grade crossing

The old Central main line through Hempstead was named the Central Branch by the LIRR, while the line from Mineola on the LIRR's Main Line south past Hempstead Crossing to Hempstead was the Hempstead Branch.[7] The New York Bay Extension Railroad opened the current West Hempstead Branch in 1893,[8] resulting in a realignment of the Hempstead Branch from Hempstead Crossing south to Meadow Street to better connect to the new line.[9]

Electric service on the current route of the Hempstead Branch, from Queens Village east along the Main Line and Central Branch and south along the Hempstead Branch to Hempstead, was inaugurated on May 26, 1908.[10][11]^: 18 In 1910, the branch's connection to the Main Line was double-tracked.[12]^: 23 The then-Hempstead Branch north to Mineola was electrified on October 20, 1926, along with the West Hempstead Branch.[13]

The line north of Hempstead Crossing last saw passenger service on September 14, 1935,[14] and was abandoned for freight in 1965.[15] Park Interlocking at Floral Park was eliminated in the circa-1960 grade crossing elimination; Hempstead Branch trains switch off the Main Line at Queens Interlocking, just east of Elmont–UBS Arena station, and continue next to it to Floral Park.[16]

West of Hollis, most trips go on to terminate at Grand Central Madison or Penn Station, with some trips ending at Jamaica.[2]

Zone[21]	Location	Station	Miles (km) from Long Island City[22]	Date opened	Date closed	Connections and notes
3	Jamaica, Queens	Hillside Facility		July 22, 1991[23]		Employees-only station
	Hollis, Queens	Hollis	11.5 (18.5)	1885		New York City Bus: Q2, Q3 MTA Bus: Q110
	Queens Village, Queens
		Bellaire		1837	1972	Originally named Flushing Avenue, then Brushville, then Interstate Park, then Brushville Road
		Queens Village	13.2 (21.2)	1881		New York City Bus: Q1, Q27, Q36, Q83, Q88 Nassau Inter-County Express: n24
4
	Elmont	Elmont		November 20, 2021 (eastbound)[17][18] October 6, 2022 (westbound)[19][20]
	Floral Park	Bellerose	14.3 (23.0)	1898
		Floral Park	14.9 (24.0)	1878		Long Island Rail Road: Port Jefferson Branch (limited service)
	Garden City	Stewart Manor	16.3 (26.2)	1873		Nassau Inter-County Express: n25
		Nassau Boulevard	17.3 (27.8)	1907
		Garden City	18.4 (29.6)	1872		Nassau Inter-County Express: n40, n41
		Country Life Press	19.0 (30.6)	1911
	Hempstead	Rosa Parks Hempstead Transit Center	19.8 (31.9)	1872		Nassau Inter-County Express: n6, n6X, n15, n16, n16X, n27, n31, n32, n35, n40, n41, n48, n49, n54, n55, n70, n71, n72, Mercy Medical Shuttle Short Line Bus: 495

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Hempstead Branch (Long Island Rail Road) (category)

• Hempstead Branch Stations (Unofficial LIRR History web site)^[Usurped!]
• NYCSubway.org: Hempstead Branch
• Hempstead Branch (The LIRR Today)