A Train Service Returns To Rockaways After 4 Month Shutdown

NEW YORK CITY — A train service to the Rockaways officially resumed on Monday after being shut down for 4 months for necessary repairs.

The shutdown began on Jan. 17 and included the reconstruction of the Hammels Wye Viaduct, 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, officials said.

Both structures are more than 65 years old, and their completed overhaul ensures Rockaway residents can continue to depend on reliable service on the line for decades to come.

“The Rockaway project reflects what the new MTA is doing — delivering capital work on-time and on-budget with minimal impacts to customers and maximum benefit. The line is now fully rebuilt and better prepared to withstand the extreme conditions we are facing in the age of climate change," MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said.

The A line serves around 12,500 riders, linking them from the Rockaway Peninsula to New York City.

In addition, the 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.

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.

Some additional signal and structural repairs are expected to be completed by the end of 2026.