Oyster Bay Branch


The Oyster Bay Branch is a rail line and service owned and operated by the Long Island Rail Road in the U.S. state of New York. The branch splits from the Main Line just east of Mineola station, and runs north and east to Oyster Bay. The branch is electrified between East Williston and Mineola.

History

Early history

The first phase of what is now known as the Oyster Bay Branch opened on January 23, 1865. The line was built by the Glen Cove Branch Rail Road, a subsidiary of the Long Island Rail Road, and extended to Glen Head. On May 16, 1867 the railway was extended to Glen Cove. and on April 19, 1869 the line was extended further to Locust Valley.
By the early 1880s, there had been pressure to expand rail service eastward. At this time another railroad, the Northern Railroad of Long Island threatened the Long island Rail Road's monopoly. The Northern Railroad was incorporated on March 23, 1881, and it planned to build a road from Astoria to Northport via Flushing, Great Neck, Glen Cove, Oyster Bay and Huntington. By June 1881, construction plans were authorized and in mid-July the building contract was signed, with work set to begin in August. The Long Island Rail Road attempted to undermine the Northern Railroad's project before it could sell stock and acquire a roadbed. It was going to link its north side branches together as a continuous railroad to Northport. Construction cost from Great Neck to Roslyn and from Locust Valley to Northport was approximately $400,000.
In February 1883, Austin Corbin, president of the Long Island Rail Road, offered to supply iron and rolling stock for the extension to Oyster Bay if local residents provided the right-of-way. While citizens considered the offer, the Northern Railroad folded since not enough money was raised. With the threat eliminated, the extension of rail service to Oyster Bay was temporarily delayed. The project was revived in 1886 when some citizens offered to secure a right-of-way. In June 1886, a public meeting was held and a committee of 15 was appointed to secure land. Although officials were still contemplating a through line to Northport, the LIRR organized the Oyster Bay Extension Railroad on August 31, 1886, which authorized a five-mile road from Locust Valley to Oyster Bay. Ground was broken for the project on August 15, 1887. One phase of construction was the building of a bridge over what is now Tunnel Street in Locust Valley. The masonry project began in October 1888 and the arch was finished on April 13, 1889. The entire bridge was completed by September.
On June 24, 1889, the extension opened with a huge celebration in Oyster Bay. A ceremonial train of ten cars left Long Island City about 9:30 a.m. and was met at Locust Valley by ten young ladies who decorated the locomotive with flags and wreaths. Upon arrival at Oyster Bay, an organized procession commenced, which was viewed by 5,000 residents and visitors. On Tuesday, June 25, the extension opened for regular passenger service with eight round trips daily to and from Long Island City.
The line ended at Locust Valley for two decades until a final extension added four miles to Oyster Bay. One of the reasons for building to Oyster Bay was to create a connection to New England. A large pier, now owned by the Flowers Oyster Company, was built to facilitate the loading of passenger cars onto a ferry, specifically to the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad station and ferry pier in Wilson's Point section of Norwalk, Connecticut. Service lasted only a few years as overland service from New York to Boston, once thought impossible, commenced.
In early 1892, a second track was built between Mineola and Albertson.

20th century to present

The line was double-tracked to Roslyn, Glen Cove and Locust Valley in 1905, 1909 and 1911, respectively. The extension of the line's second track was done in anticipation of electrification.
Until 1928, a direct connection to the West Hempstead Branch existed just east of Mineola station. This spur crossed the Main Line, then terminated at the end of a wye at what was often called the Garden City Branch. Until passenger service was abandoned along this branch, passengers would transfer between the two lines at Mineola Station itself.
In November 1928, LIRR officials surveyed the branch to evaluate the feasibility of electrifying the line. The Glen Cove Chamber of Commerce petitioned the LIRR, advocating for electrification. In response, the Vice President of the LIRR, in December, stated that the LIRR had to deal with the completion of multiple grade crossing elimination projects before electrifying the Oyster Bay Branch, which was estimated to cost $3.28 million.
By June 1934, the section of the line between East Williston and Mineola was electrified, with the remainder of the branch expected to be electrified soon after. However, the remainder of the work was not completed. Instead, the branch is served by diesel powered-locomotive trains.
In 2009, the LIRR replaced the bridge over West Shore Road between Locust Valley and Oyster Bay Stations.

Stations

West of, most trips go on to terminate at, with some rush hour trips ending at or.
ZoneLocationStationMiles
from NYP		Date
opened		Date
closed		Connections and notes
4Mineola 1837Long Island Rail Road: Montauk, Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma branches
Nassau Inter-County Express:
Originally named Hempstead, then Branch or Hempstead Branch
4East Williston 1880Nassau Inter-County Express:
Terminus of electrification
7Albertson 1875Nassau Inter-County Express:
7Roslyn January 23, 1865Nassau Inter-County Express:
7Wheatley Hills1924Originally named Wheatley Hills
7Greenvale 1866Nassau Inter-County Express:
Originally named Week's
7Glen Head January 23, 1865Nassau Inter-County Express:
7Glen Cove May 16, 1867Nassau Inter-County Express:
7Glen Cove May 16, 1867Nassau Inter-County Express:
7Glen Cove 1895Originally named Nassau
7Locust Valley April 19, 1869
7Mill NeckJune 25, 18891998Originally named Bayville
7Oyster Bay June 25, 1889