Passenger Trains > Long Island City area yard question

Hopefully, one or more of you can educate me. I took the attached photos while riding the MTA's 7 (Flushing) Line this past Sunday.  The scene is west of the 33rd St-Rawson station and is in the Long Island City area.
What is this yard, how is it supposed to be used and why is it empty?

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Your first photo shows LIRR's Midday Storage Yard built as part of the East Side Access Project that facilitated LIRR operation to/from Grand Central Madison terminal. I'm guessing it fills up Monday-Fridays storing LIRR's GCT trains between morning and evening rush hours.

The 2nd photo is Amtrak's Sunnyside Yard where Amtrak trains are serviced and NJT commuter trains are stored midday.

Here's a link to the extensive detailed Wikipedia article describing the East Access Project elements: East Side Access Project

And here's a link to the East Side Access Railfan Guide that has helpful maps showing the new storage yard and how the GCT Madison tracks connect to the LIRR main lines at Harold Interlocking: East Side Access Railfan Guide



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/07/26 03:49 by JPB.

During the work week it will be filled with mostly New Jersey Transit trainsets laying over.  On the weekends, the trains quickly turn inside Penn Station.

thebluecomet Wrote:
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> During the work week it will be filled with mostly
> New Jersey Transit trainsets laying over.  On the
> weekends, the trains quickly turn inside Penn
> Station.

I believe this is a change due to the tunnel rehab work. More trains used to loop at Sunnyside, but the efforts to reduce East River Tunnel usage has shifted trains to turn in Penn Station. The big change would be toilet servicing being less frequent or moving to the outer terminals.

Amtrak Sunnyside yard and LIRR Mid-day storage yard are completely separate facilities. One is catenary, the other 3rd rail. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Amtrak Sunnyside yard and LIRR Mid-day storage
> yard are completely separate facilities. One is
> catenary, the other 3rd rail. 

They aren't separate, we connected them at T Interlocking under the mainline at Harold on the farside of the Loops.