Merrick station

Merrick is a station on the Babylon Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. It is officially located on Sunrise Highway, between Hewlett Avenue and Merrick Avenue, in Merrick, New York. However, the parking areas for the station expand well beyond the given location.

Merrick
Merrick station as seen from Sunrise Highway.
General information
LocationSunrise Highway between Hewlett & Merrick Avenues
Merrick, New York
Coordinates40.663769°N 73.550709°W / 40.663769; -73.550709
Owned byLong Island Rail Road
Line(s)Montauk Branch
Distance24.1 mi (38.8 km) from Long Island City[1]
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsLocal Transit Nassau Inter-County Express: n19 (at Merrick Road)
Construction
ParkingYes
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone7
History
Opened1867 (1867) (SSRRLI)
Rebuilt1885, 1902, 1969–1975
ElectrifiedMay 20, 1925
750 V (DC) third rail
Passengers
2012—20147,235[2]
Rank14 of 125
Services
Preceding station Long Island Rail Road Following station
Freeport
toward Penn Station, Grand Central or Atlantic Terminal
 Babylon Branch Bellmore
toward Babylon
     Montauk Branch does not stop here
Former services
Preceding station Long Island
Rail Road		 Following station
Freeport
toward Long Island City
 Montauk Division Bellmore
toward Montauk

History

Merrick station is typical of the elevated Babylon Branch stations that were rebuilt during the mid-to-late 20th century. The station was originally built on October 28, 1867, by the South Side Railroad of Long Island, but in 1869, it was expanded into a hotel built by SSRRLI President Charles Fox. This hotel was burned to the ground in 1908. A second depot was built in 1885, and a third in 1902.[3] The station was razed in June 1969 as part of the grade-crossing elimination project. A temporary station was installed on December 4, 1970, but the elevated fourth station was not opened until June 28, 1975.

Station layout

This station has one 12-car-long high-level island platform serving trains in both directions. A 10-car-long awning exists, with the easternmost part of the platform uncovered. The rail line has two tracks at this location. Each Fall, this railroad station along with Bellmore station plays host to a Street Festival/Fair courtesy of the Merrick Chamber of Commerce.

Merrick station is home to a memorial to Roxey (d. 1914), a dog who frequented the LIRR in the early 20th century and became a mascot for the commuters and staff.[4][5]The small gravestone is located on the south side of the station, along the guardrail separating the parking lot from the Sunrise Highway, in a patch of lawn about 20 feet east of Merrick Avenue.[6]

References
  1. Long Island Rail Road (May 14, 2012). "TIMETABLE No. 4" (PDF). p. IV. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  2. "2012-2014 LIRR Origin and Destination Report : Volume I: Travel Behavior Among All LIRR Passengers" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. August 23, 2016. PDF pp. 15, 197. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2019. Retrieved March 29, 2020. 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
  3. Merrick Station History (Arrt's Arrchives)
  4. "MTA news: The LIRR's Best Friend". www.mta.info. MTA. May 28, 2010. Retrieved February 16, 2022.
  5. Morrison, David D. (April 19, 2023). "Trains Newswire: Bessie and Roxey statue at Mineola (sic) station". Kalmbach. Retrieved April 25, 2023.
  6. "Google Street View". Retrieved February 16, 2022.
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