Farmingville, NY – Supervisor Ed Romaine and Councilman Dan Panico announced today that the MTA and Long Island Railroad have agreed to relocate the Yaphank train station to an undetermined site east of its current location. The train station is now severely underutilized due to its inconvenient location in West Yaphank and limited train schedule because the LIRR main line can only accommodate diesel powered trains east of Ronkonkoma. The absence of industry or retail along County Road 21 in Yaphank, which is near the current train station, is also a reason for low ridership. The next step in the plan is to conduct a feasibility study to identify and select the new site for the station. New York State has committed $20 million to fund the move. Supervisor Romaine and Councilman Panico have lobbied the MTA and LIRR for many years to give the "go ahead" to the project. Pictured are Supervisor Romaine (center) and Councilman Panico (right) at the January 11 meeting with Town, LIRR and MTA officials to discuss the Yaphank train station move.
The Town has indicated that the Yaphank train station should be moved to a location adjacent to William Floyd Parkway, just south of the Long Island Expressway. Moving it to this location will make train travel more accessible to commuters and provide crucial support to the nearby Brookhaven National Lab (3000 employees), as well as the businesses in the area, including those in the Brookhaven Technology Center (2500 employees), and the sustainable mix-used development "The Meadows at Yaphank," currently under construction. The station would also service Brookhaven Calabro Airport.