MTA: No train service to Rockaways for 4 months next year

No train service to Rockaways for 4 months next year, MTA says

By Atlan Hassard Queens

UPDATED 6:05 PM ET Nov. 03, 2024 PUBLISHED 1:12 PM ET Nov. 03, 2024 PUBLISHED 1:12 PM EST Nov. 03, 2024

The MTA announced that train service to the Rockaways will be suspended from Jan. 17 to May 19, 2025.

Trains on the A line will not run between Howard Beach-JFK Airport and Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue or Rockaway Park-Beach 116th Street. The Rockaway Park Shuttle will not run to or from Broad Channel.

In lieu of train service, the MTA says it will offer two free shuttle bus services:

Q97 buses will run between Howard Beach-JFK Airport and Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue.
Q109 buses will run between Howard Beach-JFK Airport and Beach 67th Street, stopping at Broad Channel and Beach 90th Street.

Rockaway Park Shuttle trains will also run between Rockaway Park-Beach 116th Street and Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue.

The MTA says the suspension will allow for necessary repairs to the Rockaway line, which suffered “extensive damage” after Superstorm Sandy. The emergency repairs made to the viaducts and bridge that carry trains following the storm in 2012 are now in need of upgrades.

The MTA says the work will help protect the service from future severe weather. About 9,000 New Yorkers ride in the affected area every day, according to the agency.