Senator Fuschillo Joins Mta & Local Officials at Opening of Double Track Information Center
January 17, 2013
Double Track Project Will Help Create Jobs, Promote Economic Development & Improve LIRR Service
Photo caption: Senator Fuschillo speaks about the benefits of the Double Track Project at the opening of the LIRR’s Double Track Information Center.
Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. (R-Merrick) recently joined with MTA & local officials at the opening of the first of two Double Track Information Centers so customers and residents can learn about the LIRR’s Double Track Project. Senator Fuschillo secured $138 million in state funding to accelerate the project by two years.
“The Double Track project is critically important to Long Island. It will create jobs, promote economic development, and improve service for LIRR riders, all of which is greatly needed. I’m extremely pleased that we were able to accelerate the Double Track project and ensure that a project which has long been a dream will finally become a reality,” said Senator Fuschillo, Chairman of the Senate’s Transportation Committee.
The Double Track Project will add a second track on existing LIRR property between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma. The Main Line between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma, which spans 17.9 miles, currently has 5.3 miles of double track, including at most stations. Under the project, a second track will be added to the remaining 12.6 miles of single, electrified track along the Main Line. Adding this new second track will greatly benefit commuters on the Ronkonkoma Branch by improving service reliability, increasing on-time performance, and enabling faster recovery following service disruptions. The Ronkonkoma Branch is one of the LIRR’s most crowded branches, with the highest number of customers per train on peak trains, reverse-peak trains, and weekends.
In addition to the jobs and economic activity generated by the project itself, the second track is also a critical component to other current and proposed transit oriented developments along the branch which would help promote additional economic development and activity. Along with the Republic/Route 110 Corridor project, the second track project is also critically important to other transit oriented developments such as Wyandanch Rising and the Ronkonkoma Hub.
The Double Track Information Centers will be staffed by LIRR representatives who can provide information and answer questions to residents who are interested in the project. The Centers will be at:
Ronkonkoma Train Station:
Thursday, January 17th- 6 am to 8 pm
Friday, January 18th- 6 am to 2 pm
Saturday, January 19th- 10 am to 2 pm
Farmingdale Train Station:
Wednesday, January 23rd- 10 am to 8 pm
Thursday, January 24th- 7 am to 7 pm
Friday, January 25th- 7 am to 3 pm
Saturday, January 26th- 10 am to 2 pm
Residents can also find more information about the Double Track Project on the LIRR’s website, www.mta.info/lirr.
