Subway Service to Far Rockaway Resumes After Bridge Rehabilitation

Earlier this week, the Rockaway subway resumed service to the Rockaways, which includes the Jewish community of Far Rockaway and nearby Five Towns.

The Rockaway Line, which carries the A, S trains, is the critical connection between the Rockaway peninsula and the rest of New York City, serving nearly 12,500 riders daily and connecting a diverse population of almost 125,000 residents. The MTA says this ongoing project is on time and under budget.

In January, the MTA shut down service between the Rockaways and the rest of Queens for critical resiliency and rehabilitation work.

“The A train is a key artery of New York City, stretching all the way from Inwood to the ocean, and for residents of the Rockaways, it is a critical lifeline,” Governor Hochul said. “That’s why we made a promise to this community that we would get the A train back in service by Memorial Day. Today, we deliver on that promise, bringing reliable service to the A line that riders will be able to count on for decades.”

MTA Construction and Development carried out a complete reconstruction of Hammels Wye—an elevated structure that all trains must cross to reach the peninsula. The South Channel Bridge, which must swing open to allow for marine traffic to cross Jamaica Bay, also underwent an overhaul to update its aging electrical and mechanical components which previously were often the source of significant delays in train service. The MTA says both of these structures are more than 65 years old, and their completed overhaul ensures Rockaway residents can continue to depend on reliable service on the A line for decades to come.

Following extensive damage caused by Superstorm Sandy, emergency work to repair the Rockaway Line was completed in subsequent months. However, many components of the critical line are over 65 years old and required extensive overhauls to weather the effects of increasingly intense storms, flooding, and climate change. The viaduct and bridge connecting the Rockaway Peninsula with the rest of Queens needed comprehensive rehabilitation and repair work to ensure these structures withstand future extreme weather events, which required a 17-week 24/7 shutdown this winter. Through two 10 hour shifts, 200 construction workers worked 20 hours a day on both weekdays and weekends to complete this portion of the project on time.

Additional work on the Rockaway Line Resiliency and Rehabilitation Project, including structural repairs, new interlocking infrastructure, and a new signal tower will take place during future weekend outages. The entire project is expected to be complete by late 2026.

“We’re back and better than before! The A train and Rockaway Shuttle serve as a lifeline for our community” Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato, who represents Far Rockaway, said. “After this 5-month construction we have rebuilt and upgraded our trains infrastructure to ensure reliable service for years to come! Our entire community applauds the MTA for their diligent work and thank Governor Hochul for her commitment to our transportation needs in Rockaway and South Queens. All that’s left to say is — all aboard.”

Work on the project included:

Hammels Wye

All trains to the peninsula must cross Hammels Wye, an elevated structure that allows for service to split between west-bound to Rockaway Park and east-bound to Far Rockaway. Decades of exposure to the elements have caused significant wear and tear to the structure requiring it to be completely reconstructed. The new structure is comprised of 250 tons of steel, 1,600 feet of reconstructed structure rail, 37 steel girders, 700 concrete ties, and 856 tons of stone ballast. All signals and power systems were fully modernized and rebuilt enabling this section of the A line to be made Communication-Based Train Control equipped in the future. This includes 2,340 feet of tractions power cable, 8,000 feet of signal cable, and a new track switch.

South Channel Bridge

Another critical passage all trains traverse to the peninsula is the South Channel Bridge, which must swing open to allow boats to cross Jamaica Bay. Aging mechanical and electrical infrastructure caused delays in returning the bridge to its closed position resulting in service disruptions to the Rockaway line. MTA Construction & Development capitalized on the time needed to repair Hammels Wye to completely overhaul the electrical and mechanical components of the bridge. This will provide more dependable functionality and ensure more reliable service for A train riders for decades.

Additional Resiliency Work

Other components of the Rockaway Line Resiliency and Rehabilitation project included building 12 foot high, 900-foot-long wave barriers along the tracks to protect against coastal storm surges and can withstand future Superstorm Sandy-like strength storms. The height of the wave barriers was determined by future storm surge maps with additional feet added to ensure maximal protection.

Debris washed onto the tracks was a major source of damage during Superstorm Sandy. Now the tracks are protected by newly built debris shields that will prevent debris from washing onto the tracks. Additional resiliency efforts also included repairs to the Rockaway Viaduct and fortifications to embankments washed out by Superstorm Sandy. Large boulders and rocks, known as riprap were installed at the base of the tracks to prevent erosion from both daily tides and storm surge. Riprap also serves to prevent water incursion into infrastructure.

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