From: brennan@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Joseph Brennan)
Subject: Re: NYCTA - to JFK (was Re: From Penn Station to JFK)
Reply-To: brennan@cunixf.cc.columbia.edu (Joseph Brennan)
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 16:09:41 GMT

In article <85906@netnews.upenn.edu> sfsmith@pennsas.upenn.edu (Sandy
F. Smith, Jr.) writes:

>      at the Howard Beach end, I recall, all 
>that lies between the TA ROW and JFK is a vast expanse of asphalt (an overflow
>parking lot?).  No major highways (save the airport loop road) would have to
>be crossed.

Entirely in airport property, which simplifies the legalities.
Despite my mention of a loop track past the terminals, I think really it
would be better to have a single station with horizontal movers radiating
to each terminal building.  The central station concept would also assist
air travellers who need to go from one terminal to another.

Going with your concept, OK, let's have several tracks and platforms
at the station, so we can sort trains for the subway and the nonstop to
Manhattan.  I also suggest a route to selected Long Island points, either
the Main/Rononkoma line (central) or Babylon (busiest) or both.

>Meanwhile, the A train to the Rockaways uses a former LIRR spur to reach the
>Rockaway elevated viaduct.  The ROW above the junction with the (Rockaway
>Blvd? I forget the street name) elevated (A to Lefferts Blvd) track is
>abandoned but intact.  Since LIRR service (I think) also uses 600V DC third
>rail, that part of the interconnection should be easy.  Are there other
>hurdles that would have to be cleared?

The height of the third rails differ by a few inches.  This can be
dealt with by a special shoe mount.  I suggest the Manhattan express
and LIRR services should be specialized trains anyway, so let them
have the special shoes and build the line with subway third rail.

I think there might be a building on the old line, near the LIRR main.
I've never checked this.  

For the service to Long Island or at least Jamaica, the plan proposed
by the MTA puts a new curve in so such trains would run over the "old
Montauk line", the line now used for freight and the trains to Long
Island City terminal, which would be electrified in this area.

I have thought myself that the old Montauk might be connected to the
Penn Station tunnels at Hunterspoint, if the Main gets connected to
Grand Central via 63d St, so there would be 3 pairs of tracks to
Manhattan and not just the 2 on the main.  The airport and/or Rockaway
LIRR trains could then curve into the old Montauk via Fresh Pond
rather than the main via Woodside.  

Another recent proposal (New Electric Railway Journal in the past
year) calls for heavier LIRR service on some short routes in Queens,
something in between subway and railroad (and reminiscent to me of
some British Rail service near London), and if this would be done, the
whole Rockaway service should probably be turned back to the LIRR for
this type of operation.  Note that alternate A trains to Far Rockaway
amount to an interval of 20 to 24 minutes right now, so it's well into
"frequent suburban railroad" range if you forget the insane fare
structure.  Well, I'm getting off the subject...

>Such an arrangement would offer the best of both worlds:  a direct subway
>link for light travellers, and a thru route into Penn Station

Think bigger though.  Using the Van Wyck Expressway alignment proposed
this year for some silly light rail thing, run from JFK Terminal to
LaGuardia, but then on into the Northeast Corridor line.  Operate
various Amtrak highspeed services to points north via Hell Gate (New
Haven) and Penn (extension of Albany trains) and south via Penn
(Trenton), as well as maybe LIRR express to Grand Central via 63d St
every 15 minutes and subway service via 60th or 63d St tunnels.  You also
want a through service from LIRR eastern points to both airports.

--Joe Brennan

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