"High-Speed Switch Removal" (Looking East)
On the weekend of May 14th, 2022, Long Island Rail Road Maintenance of Way crews removed the high-speed "221" switch within Queens Interlocking in Elmont, NY. This unique switch allowed trains to seamlessly cross from Track 2 to Track 1 without slowing down, maintaining the railroad's 80mph maximum allowed speed. The removal of this switch makes room for a new set of crossovers that will permit westbound trains on Main Line 2 & Hempstead 1 (mainly Hempstead Branch trains) to stop at the new Elmont-UBS Arena Station.
In this photo, westbound Hempstead Branch train 9755 passing the Elmont-UBS Arena station on Hempstead 2 as crews remove the several ties that held the switch together.
