A Train Service Shutting Down In Rockaway Beginning Next Year

NEW YORK CITY — The MTA will shut down A train service to the Rockaways in Queens for a few months next year.

Beginning on Jan. 17 and lasting until May 16, 2025, A trains will not run from Howard Beach-JFK Airport to either Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue or Rockaway Park-Beach 116th Street in both directions.

The shutdown is necessary to improve existing infrastructure against extreme weather, MTA officials said.

The viaducts and bridge that allow trains to run to Broad Channel need major upgrades to help protect the line from future storms, the MTA said.

The train line suffered major damage during Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Free bus shuttle service will be available during the five-month period.

The Rockaway Park Shuttle trains will not be running to or from Broad Channel during the shutdown, officials said.

"The Rockaway Line, which carries the A train and Rockaway Park Shuttle and serves as a vital link between the Rockaway Peninsula and the rest of New York City, suffered extensive damage after Superstorm Sandy," the MTA wrote in a statement on its website. "Emergency repairs restored service seven months after the storm. However, the viaducts and bridge that carry trains across Broad Channel need major upgrades to help protect the line from future storms and ensure reliable service for its over 9,000 daily riders."

For more information on the service changes, you can visit this page.