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| Re: Significant part of former LIRR Wading River Branch to become rail trail (769560) | |||
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Re: Significant part of former LIRR Wading River Branch to become rail trail |
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Posted by GP38/R42 Chris on Sun Apr 12 22:22:40 2009, in response to Re: Significant part of former LIRR Wading River Branch to become rail trail, posted by trainsarefun on Sun Apr 12 13:08:11 2009. You are correct.First off, ridership on the Port Jeff line was actually swallowed up by Ronkonkoma in the late 80's and early 90's, once that line was electrified. As for the Wading River segment, Rocky Point and Sound Beach were probabably already developing in the 1940's, but back then, that was a summer community. The houses are so close to the ROW, and so close together there in Rocky Point and Sound Beach, because they WANTED to be near the LIRR back then, as it was a walkable, summer community, and most of the homes were built as summer bungalows. Rocky Point and Sound Beach were developing before the line was abandoned. That being said, Miller Place, Shoreham, and Wading River were still farming communites back then, and Wading River still is basically. But anyone that sees the traffic on RT 25, and Route 25A, as well as Route 347 will know that there is plenty of population there that would use the Railroad today. The problem though is to get them OUT of their cars, and prevent them from DRIVING TO RONKONKOMA, which is what many/most LIRR commuters are doing now. Not only are they not driving to Port Jefferson, they are driving all the way to Ronkonkoma. My own comment that LIRR's failure to electrify to Port Jefferson speaks volumes about its capacity (or lack thereof) to re-extend service to Wading River was not meant to imply that the non-electrified Port Jefferson Branch lacks for ridership, especially as compared to other non-electrified territory. Indeed, LIRR found that electrification to Port Jefferson was warranted, but not feasible because they were unable to site a yard; they did not explain why the present yard facilities east of Port Jefferson station are inadequate (even if improved). You are absolutely correct. The Port Jeff line WAS the LIRR's premier Commtuer line until Ronkonkoma was electrified. That ridership DID NOT fade away, it just was shifted away from the Port Jeff line, and to the Ronkonkoma line artificially, causing the Mayhem there that even the LIRR didn't expect to happen to the extent that it did. The Wading River Branch would do quite well in ridership, the problem being though that unless it was electrified all the way for it's length, it would fail, as unless the Port Jeff line was abandoned, there is no way of stealing the lost riders back from the Ronkonkoma Branch. And while extending electrification to Yaphank is also a great idea, and in the LIRR's capital plans, all that will do is shift a lot of the eastern originated onslaught from Ronkonkoma to Yaphank. |
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