en.Wedoany.com Reported - New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s new station on Long Island, the Yaphank-Brookhaven National Laboratory Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) station (Yaphank-BNL), has officially opened. Relocated from its original site, the station aims to improve access to Brookhaven National Laboratory and major roadways such as the William Floyd Parkway and the Long Island Expressway. This is the first new LIRR station on Long Island since the Elmont-UBS station opened in 2021, and only the second new station built in nearly fifty years. Train service began on Saturday, with the first trains departing Yaphank-Brookhaven station at 5:36 AM for Greenport and at 8:02 AM for Ronkonkoma.
Alongside the opening of the new station, the MTA launched a feasibility study to evaluate infrastructure upgrades on the LIRR main line east of Ronkonkoma station to support more frequent and reliable train service. This branch currently has only a single track and is not electrified, with trains operating on diesel power and running on a sparse schedule.
The study will focus on opportunities to upgrade signal systems, communications equipment, and other infrastructure; adding a second track along all or part of the branch between Ronkonkoma and Riverhead; and electrifying the branch segment east of Ronkonkoma. The construction of a second track will draw on the LIRR's experience with the ongoing double-track project between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma, enabling more trains to operate in both directions. Electrification could support faster, more frequent service and reduce reliance on diesel locomotives.
As part of the study, the MTA will assess supporting infrastructure needs, such as new substations, and analyze the costs and benefits of potential investments. The study is expected to be completed in early 2027, and its findings will inform discussions on future LIRR system investment priorities. Funding comes from the MTA's $68 billion 2025-2029 Capital Plan, which was fully funded by Governor Hochul and the legislature in the Fiscal Year 2026 state budget.
