East End Officials Seek Increase in Train Service

Requests Include Capital Improvements at Train Stations

By Hank Russell

The East End Supervisors and Mayors Association (EESMA) recently wrote a letter to Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) President Robert Free, requesting that the agency provide more train service on eastern Long Island. 

In the letter, obtained by Long Island Life & Politics, the EESMA pointed out how traffic congestion has impacted the region’s quality of life and economy. It also said these delays “have long been a negatively contributing factor in the recruitment and retention of employees for local businesses. … Opportunities to increase highway capacity are limited by the geography of the East End. Therefore, the LIRR must be an integral participant in any effective solution.”

Currently, the EESMA and the LIRR worked together through the establishment of the South Fork Commuter Connection (SFCC) five years ago. Over the past three years, ridership has risen substantially; in addition, the connection has received overwhelming support from the commuters. 

“In fact, the only complaint we receive about the SFCC service is that there is not enough of it,” the EESMA wrote, adding that commuters would like to see trains running more frequently than once every two hours. They also said the North Fork is experiencing traffic problems. “Residents are challenged to get to their place of employment with both growing ferry lines and crowded roads making commuting impossible.”

The elected officials also requested that these projects be included in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Capital Program:

• adding track and crew facilities at the Speonk yard to accommodate three additional train sets
• building a new northside platform and station track at the Speonk station to permit the Montauk trains terminating at Speonk to access the yard without blocking the main track line
• constructing a new south passenger platform at the Hampton Bays station to permit the passing and double berthing of trains
• upgrading, signalizing and reconnecting the north freight track to the main line at the Bridgehampton station to permit passing and double berthing of trains and adding a new northside passenger platform with a pedestrian overpass
• signalizing the existing siding at the East Hampton station to permit trains to pass and extend the siding to the west to avoid the King Street at-grade crossing
• signalizing the existing siding located east of the Amagansett station

“They are long overdue and should be expedited, particularly at a time when there are unprecedented federal infrastructure dollars available and the State Legislature has acted to stabilize MTA finances,” the EESMA wrote. “These improvements are needed now and cannot wait another five or ten years to move forward.”

In response to the letter, MTA spokesperson Kayla Shults said in a statement, “The MTA agrees that public transportation is the antidote to traffic congestion, and will continue to solicit input from elected officials and members of the community as we prepare the 2025-2029 Capital Plan.”