Cold Spring Harbor
Huntington is presently the terminus of electrification on the Port Jefferson Branch. Electrification arrived here on October 19, 1970 and since then the station has become an intermediate transfer point for off-peak riders between electric trains to and from Penn Station and diesel scoot trains to Port Jefferson. Not all off-peak Port Jefferson-bound trains are transfer at Huntington, some scoot trains run to and from Hicksville, connecting with trains on the Ronkonkoma Branch instead, and give the diesel portion of the Port Jefferson branch unique 90 minute off-peak. During peak hours diesel trains operate straight through to Jamaica, Hunterspoint Avenue, along with two dual-mode round-trips in each direction that provide a one-seat ride directly into Penn Station. These Penn Station dual modes have operated since 1992 when the LIRR prototyped double-decker dual-mode service buying C1s (the prototype to the C3s) and FL9s from Metro-North.
The station itself isn't the best set up for transfers. It consists of two twelve-car side platforms for the two-track line. For connections the terminating train discharges its passengers, leaves the station to use siding tail tracks beyond each end of the station (Huntington lacks a real train yard, community opposition has squashed building one) and the connecting train pulls in right behind it receiving the connecting passengers.
A full summery will come when the stop is revisited!
All Photos: 20 June, 2014
