The first Floral Park station was built between October and November 1878 as "Stewart Junction," for the junction between the LIRR Main Line and the Central Railroad of Long Island built by Alexander Turney Stewart. Five years earlier the CRRLI had bridged the LIRR, and the station served as a connection between both lines. Connecting tracks were available at the southwest corner of the bridge at the station, and on the northwest corner of the bridge west of the station. It was renamed "Hinsdale" in 1879 with the closing of the CRRLI depot of the same name along the Creedmoor Branch, then renamed "East Hinsdale" in 1887. That same year, the station gained a control tower known as "Tower #47." Apparently due to the presence of the florist John Lewis Childs, the station was renamed "Floral Park" by 1890. Tower #47 was replaced with the "FK Tower" in 1904, the station itself was razed in 1909, and a second station was rebuilt and relocated the same year in July. In 1924, the LIRR replaced the FK Tower with the Park Tower, and rebuilt it again in 1946. The third and current elevated structure was built in 1960, as the second one was razed on October 20 of that same year. The ticket office at this station was staffed until August 19, 2009, when it was closed during cost-cutting measures across the MTA. As part of the LIRR third track project, the Floral Park station will be renovated starting in spring 2019, and three vehicular crossings east of the station would be rebuilt starting that year. This station will be rebuilt, and will receive elevators, making it ADA-accessible. As of 2019, on weekdays two Main Line trains stop on Tracks 1A and 2B. Train #1501 to Penn Station originates at East Williston at 7:26, during the morning rush hour. Train #1612 to Huntington, a reverse commute train, also stops here.
Station layout
This station has three high-level platforms serving four tracks. Platform A is eight cars long, while Platforms B and C are 10 cars long. Main Line trains use the two northern tracks, while Hempstead Branch trains use the two southern tracks. Only limited rush hour trains on the Port Jefferson Branch stop at the station. All other trains on that branch pass through without stopping, as well as all Oyster Bay Branch, Ronkonkoma Branch, and Montauk Branch trains. During the morning rush hours, two westbound Hempstead Branch trains operate nonstop Penn Station upon their departure.
