Valley Stream
The station in 2023, as seen from the parking lot.
General information
Location	Franklin Avenue & Sunrise Highway Valley Stream, New York
Coordinates	40°39′41″N 73°42′17″W / 40.661483°N 73.704679°W / 40.661483; -73.704679
Owned by	Long Island Rail Road
Line(s)	Atlantic Branch Far Rockaway Branch Montauk Branch West Hempstead Branch Long Beach Branch
Distance	15.7 mi (25.3 km) from Atlantic Terminal 16.1 mi (25.9 km) from Long Island City [1]
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2 (Atlantic Branch), 2 ( Montauk Branch)
Connections	Nassau Inter-County Express: n1, Elmont Flexi
Construction
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	4 [2]
History
Opened	June 1869 (SSRRLI) [3]
Rebuilt	1933
Electrified	December 11, 1905 750 V ( DC) third rail
Passengers
2012-14	14,444 [4]
Rank	12
Services
Preceding station Long Island Rail Road Following station Rosedale toward Penn Station or Grand Central Far Rockaway Branch Gibson toward Far Rockaway Long Beach Branch Lynbrook toward Long Beach
Former services Preceding station Long Island Rail Road Following station Rosedale toward Long Island City Montauk Division Lynbrook toward Montauk Rosedale toward Flatbush Avenue Atlantic Division Terminus Terminus Far Rockaway Branch Gibson toward Hammels West Hempstead Branch Westwood toward Mineola

Valley Stream is a train station located on the Atlantic Branch of the Long Island Rail Road, in the Incorporated Village of Valley Stream, in Nassau County, New York.

Description

Valley Stream is the westernmost station on the Atlantic Branch in Nassau County. The station is located at Franklin Avenue and Sunrise Highway, west of Rockaway Avenue. It is wheelchair-accessible with an elevator from street level; parking facilities and taxis are available.

Valley Stream is served by Far Rockaway Branch and Long Beach Branch as of February 27, 2023. West Hempstead Branch trains previously stopped at this station. ^[5] The tracks of the Montauk Branch pass through the station north of the Atlantic Branch tracks. Directly east of the station, the Atlantic Branch splits into the Long Beach Branch, which continues east to Lynbrook and Long Beach, and the Far Rockaway Branch, which turns south toward Far Rockaway. The West Hempstead Branch, meanwhile, diverges north of the Montauk Branch.

History

The first Valley Stream station was built by the South Side Railroad of Long Island on October 28, 1867. The station house itself opened in July 1869 with the opening of the Far Rockaway Branch, and was built as a Swiss chalet style station house inside the legs of an old wye. It also served customers of the Southern Hempstead Branch which was built by the short-lived New York and Hempstead Plains Railroad between 1871 and 1900. Along with the rest of the SSRRLI, the station was acquired by the Long Island Rail Road in 1889. In 1893 the station began to serve trains along the West Hempstead Branch. When Nassau County separated from Queens in 1899, Valley Stream station became the first station in Nassau County along the Montauk Branch. The station was electrified with the rest of the Far Rockaway Branch on December 11, 1905, and the Long Beach Branch was extended from Lynbrook station in 1910 and became an extension of the Atlantic Branch.^{[ citation needed]}

In 1933, the original station was razed as part of a grade crossing elimination project along the Atlantic and Montauk branches. Prior to this, a temporary station was relocated on a shoo-fly north of the former station on August 10, 1932, then moved to another one south of the former station on August 31 of the same year. The third elevated center-island structure that exists today was opened north of the former location on February 7, 1933 – and the wye was removed as part of the reconstruction. ^[6]

In the late 2010s, the station received upgrades and new features as part of the MTA's Enhanced Station Initiative – including Wi-Fi, digital display kiosks, LED lighting, station artwork, charging stations, and other new waiting room & platform features. ^[7]

Following the opening of Grand Central Madison in early 2023 and the resulting service changes, it was announced that West Hempstead Branch trains would no longer stop at Valley Stream, while the Far Rockaway and Long Beach Branches would continue serving it – a pattern which remains today. ^[5]

Clear Stream station

Shortly after electrical service of the Far Rockaway Branch was established, the LIRR created a new station west of Valley Stream at Clear Stream Road (now Avenue) called Clear Stream. It opened in 1906 and was used only for rush hour service. The station was eliminated after 1910. ^[8]

Station layout

An eight-car-long island platform is located between the two Atlantic Branch tracks, 1 and 2. The two bypass tracks located to the north are part of the Montauk Branch. ^[9]

P Platform level	Montauk Branch	←                Montauk Branch, Babylon Branch, West Hempstead Branch do not stop here
		←                Montauk Branch, Babylon Branch, West Hempstead Branch do not stop here →
	Track 1	←           Far Rockaway Branch, Long Beach Branch toward Grand Central Madison, Atlantic Terminal, or Penn Station ( Rosedale or Jamaica)
	Island platform, doors will open on the left or right
	Track 2	→       Far Rockaway Branch toward Far Rockaway ( Gibson) → →       Long Beach Branch toward Long Beach ( Lynbrook) →
G	Ground level	Entrance/exit, parking, buses

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Valley Stream (LIRR station).

• Valley Stream – LIRR
• Valley Stream LIRR timetable
• Arrt's Arrchives
  • Maps from 1873 and 1910
• Hicks Street entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Franklin Avenue entrance from Google Maps Street View
• Platform from Google Maps Street View