LIRR opens information center for train-yard expansion plan

MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) last week opened the Mid-Suffolk Train Yard Information Center at the Ronkonkoma Station so riders and the public can learn about the railroad's proposal to enlarge its Ronkonkoma yard.

The Mid-Suffolk Yard plan, which would nearly double the yard's track storage area, is key to improving mainline service by providing more peak-hour trains, better cleaning and maintenance for rail cars, and direct service to Grand Central Terminal as part of the East Side Access project, LIRR officials said in a press release.

Currently budgeted at $76 million, the project would expand the yard, now located east of Ronkonkoma Station, to adjacent property already owned by LIRR. The existing yard is a 12-track facility that is fully utilized. The expansion plan would increase the number of storage tracks to 23 and relocate some LIRR departments to a new building located farther away from local residents.