MTA to suspend train service to Rockaways for four months in 2025 for repairs

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York has announced that train service to the Rockaways will be suspended for four months next year, from January 17 to May 19, 2025.

This shutdown will affect the A line, halting operations between Howard Beach-JFK Airport and both Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue and Rockaway Park-Beach 116th Street. The Rockaway Park Shuttle will also cease to operate to and from Broad Channel during this period.

To mitigate the impact of the suspension, the MTA will provide two free shuttle bus services: the Q97 buses will connect Howard Beach-JFK Airport with Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue, while the Q109 buses will run from Howard Beach-JFK Airport to Beach 67th Street, making stops at Broad Channel and Beach 90th Street. “Additionally, the Rockaway Park Shuttle trains will continue to operate between Rockaway Park-Beach 116th Street and Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue”. The MTA said.

The service suspension is aimed at facilitating much-needed repairs to the Rockaway line, which sustained “extensive damage” during Superstorm Sandy in 2012. While emergency repairs were implemented to the viaducts and bridges carrying trains following the storm, the MTA has determined that these structures now require further upgrades to enhance resilience against future severe weather events.

According to the MTA, approximately 9,000 New Yorkers rely on the affected train service daily, making this an important step toward improving safety and reliability for commuter”. The agency emphasizes that these repairs are crucial for protecting service in the face of increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.