If you’ve ever found yourself staring out the window of a Ronkonkoma-bound train, you’ve probably seen it. It’s the Bethpage station. It doesn't look like much from the platform. Just two tracks, some concrete, and a lot of people in business casual looking at their phones.
But honestly? This little stop has some of the weirdest history on the whole island.
Most people think "Bethpage" and immediately picture the golf course. You know, the Black Course where the pros play and regular people sleep in their cars just to get a tee time. Fun fact: the long island railroad bethpage station isn't actually the closest one to the park entrance if you're heading to a major tournament.
It’s a bit of a localized quirk.
A Station of Many Names (and Fires)
The tracks were laid way back in 1841. Back then, the area wasn't even called Bethpage. For a long time, the railroad called it "Jerusalem." Then it was "Central Park"—no, not the one with the zoo and the carriage rides, just a small settlement in the middle of Nassau County.
The name Bethpage didn't even stick until 1936.
Why? Basically, there was a whole other station nearby called Bethpage that served a brickworks in what we now call Old Bethpage. It got confusing. People were getting off at the wrong spots, and the post office was a mess.
Then there's the 1959 fire.
The old station building literally burned to the ground. They had to rebuild the whole thing, which is why the current setup feels very... well, mid-century utility. It’s not the Grand Central of Long Island, but it gets the job done for the roughly 3,000 people who pass through on a weekday.
📖 Related: Medicine Hat Alberta: Why It Is Actually The Sunniest Spot You Need To Know About
The Long Island Railroad Bethpage Junction and the Ghost Branch
If you look at a map of the LIRR today, you’ll see the Central Branch splitting off just east of the Bethpage station. This is a big deal for the network. It’s the shortcut that lets trains bypass the Main Line and head down to Babylon.
But there used to be another branch.
The Bethpage Branch ran north from the junction toward the old brickyards. Alexander Turney Stewart—the guy who basically invented Garden City—built it because he needed a way to move millions of bricks. He was building a "utopian" suburb and needed the raw materials from the Bethpage pits.
- Opened: 1873
- Closed: 1942
- Purpose: Moving bricks and, occasionally, people who liked pickles (there were factories nearby).
The rails were eventually torn up for scrap during World War II. You can still find remnants if you know where to look in the woods near the Old Bethpage Village Restoration, but the days of steam engines chugging north through the brush are long gone.
How to Actually Use This Station Without Losing Your Mind
Let’s talk logistics. You’ve got two high-level platforms. Track 1 is for the city; Track 2 is for the island.
The parking situation is a classic Long Island headache. Most of the lots are owned by the Town of Oyster Bay. If you don't have a resident permit, you are basically playing a game of musical chairs where the chairs cost $200 in tickets.
- Permit Lots: These are the ones closest to the stairs. Don't touch them unless you have the sticker.
- Daily Parking: There are some spots, but they fill up by 7:15 AM. Honestly, if you're arriving at 8:00 AM, just Uber.
- The 2026 Reality: With the Third Track project finished, service is more frequent, but the station itself still feels like a neighborhood secret compared to Hicksville or Farmingdale.
Wait. If you’re going to the Ryder Cup or a big event at the park, pay attention.
🔗 Read more: Why The George Hotel Montclair NJ Redefines The Modern Boutique Stay
The MTA usually tells people to go to Farmingdale instead. Why? Because Farmingdale has more room for the shuttle buses. If you get off at Bethpage expecting a quick walk to the 1st tee, you’re looking at a two-mile hike through residential streets. It’s doable, but your legs won't thank you by the back nine.
Why It Still Matters
The long island railroad bethpage stop is the heartbeat of a very specific kind of suburbia. It’s the transition point. West of here, everything feels like the city's backyard. East of here, you start getting into the "true" Long Island of the Ronkonkoma branch.
It’s where the electrification used to end (before 1987). It’s where the freight trains still rumble through at night, moving stone and waste while the rest of the town sleeps.
Nuance is everything here.
Most travelers see it as a 30-second delay on their way to Penn Station. But for the people living in the Cape Cods and ranches nearby, it's the umbilical cord to Manhattan. It's $15 for a peak ticket and 50 minutes of your life, but it beats the Long Island Expressway every single time.
Pro Tip for 2026 Commuters:
Check the TrainTime app specifically for "Beth Interlocking" delays. Since this is where the Central Branch merges, a single broken signal here can cascade into a nightmare for both the Ronkonkoma and Montauk lines.
✨ Don't miss: Good Places To Go In New York: What Most People Get Wrong
Actionable Takeaways for Your Next Trip
- Check your permit: Only park in the Town of Oyster Bay lots if you’re a resident with a valid 2024-2026 sticker.
- Pick the right branch: Remember that some "Ronkonkoma" trains might skip Bethpage during peak hours. Always look for the "Local" designation.
- Avoid the golf trap: Use Farmingdale for shuttles to Bethpage State Park during major tournaments; use Bethpage station only if you’re planning to bike or walk the local trails.
- Timing: Midday service has improved significantly since 2023. You can now catch a train roughly every 30 minutes, which is a massive upgrade from the "once-an-hour-if-you're-lucky" days of the 2010s.
Download the latest PDF timetable for the Ronkonkoma Branch to see the specific 2026 service adjustments, as departure times often shift by 2-3 minutes during seasonal track maintenance windows.