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Ronkonkoma station

Coordinates: 40°48′29″N 73°06′21″W / 40.808088°N 73.1059°W / 40.808088; -73.1059
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(Redirected from Lake Road (LIRR station))

Ronkonkoma
The Ronkonkoma station in 2023
General information
Coordinates40°48′29″N 73°06′21″W / 40.808088°N 73.1059°W / 40.808088; -73.1059
Owned byLong Island Rail Road
Line(s)Main Line
Distance48.5 mi (78.1 km) from Long Island City[1]
Platforms2 side platforms
1 island platform
Spanish solution
Tracks2
ConnectionsLocal Transit Suffolk County Transit: 51, 52A (all times); 52B (weekdays only)
Local Transit Colonial Transportation to Long Island MacArthur Airport
Inter-city bus Greyhound Lines[2]
Construction
ParkingYes
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes
ArchitectRichard Henry Behr
Other information
Fare zone10
History
Opened1883
Rebuilt1986–1997
ElectrifiedJanuary 18, 1988
750 V (DC) third rail
Previous namesLake Ronkonkoma
Passengers
200617,278[3]
Services
Preceding station Long Island Rail Road Following station
Central Islip
toward Penn Station or Grand Central
 Ronkonkoma Branch
Electric service
 Terminus
Terminus Ronkonkoma Branch
Greenport Branch
 Medford
toward Greenport
Former services
Preceding station Long Island
Rail Road 		Following station
Central Islip
toward Long Island City or Penn Station
 Main Line Holbrook
toward Greenport
Future services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Hicksville
toward Norfolk, Newport News or Roanoke
 Northeast Regional Terminus
Location
Map

Ronkonkoma (signed as Ronkonkoma LI MacArthur Airport on station signage) is a major railroad station and transportation hub along the Main Line of the Long Island Rail Road in Ronkonkoma, Suffolk County, New York. The station is the eastern terminus of the Ronkonkoma Branch and the western terminus of the Greenport Branch, and it also serves the adjacent Long Island MacArthur Airport. It will also serve as the new Long Island terminus for Amtrak's Northeast Regional, starting in or about 2028.

The station is located on Railroad Avenue North across from the intersection of Hawkins Avenue, and has parking facilities and other amenities that extend beyond the central location. Free parking is available in the lots adjacent to the tracks on the north and south side. One parking garage north of the station was built in 1996 on a former freight spur.[4][5] The station has a total of approximately 5,452 parking spaces.[6]

History

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The platforms at the station in 2024

Ronkonkoma Station was originally built as Lake Ronkonkoma station in 1883 as a replacement for the 1843-built Lakeland station designed to serve both Lakeland and Ronkonkoma, New York, as well as the 1853-built Hermanville station, designed for a former community along the south side of the tracks.[7]

Lake Road and Lakeland stations

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Lakeland was originally built in 1843 as Lake Road station. It was named for and located on Lake Road (now Pond Road), a street that once ran from Oakdale to the east side of Lake Ronkonkoma itself. By 1850 it was moved to the Dr. E. F. Peck General Store on the northwest corner of what is today Ocean Avenue and Lakeland Street. A freight house existed along the tracks close to Pine Avenue. Edgar Fenn Peck owned land as far south as Sayville, and in 1851 sold the store and the land to a developer named Charles Wood, who turned his land into a development named Lakeland Farms, which today includes land in Oakdale, Bohemia, and what is now Ronkonkoma.[7] The original Lake Road station operated simultaneously with the one at the general store on Ocean Avenue, and at some point was renamed "Lake station," until eventually being phased out. No record of the original station's existence can be found after 1857.[7][8]

Hermanville station

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Hermanville or Hermannville was another station stop along the Greenport Branch of the Long Island Rail Road, located east of the former Lake Road Station. It first appeared on an 1850 map of the Long Island Rail Road.[9] The station had one side platform, and two tracks. An 1852 advertisement for Hermanville in a few books mention the Long Island Rail Road.[10][11] Hermannville also made an appearance on the 1855 Colton map.[12] On the Map of The Village of Hermannville, Town of Islip, Suffolk County, Long Island, Hemannville station is shown as being at the intersection of the Main Line and Herman Avenue, which today is part of the Ronkonkoma Yard.[8][13][14]

After Lakeland

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Lake Ronkonkoma station replaced Lakeland station in 1883 and was designed to serve both Lakeland and Ronkonkoma, New York. At some point, the word "Lake" was dropped from the station name. The station house burned on February 7, 1933 and a temporary rectangular one-story building with a gabled roof was used until September 1937, when the second Ronkonkoma station was completed.[8][15] Throughout much of the 20th century, it also served as a sizable freight hub for central Suffolk County.[8]

Since December 28, 1987, the present Ronkonkoma station has been the east end of the electrified portion of the Main Line, but stations east of Ronkonkoma have been modified to allow for electrification in the future.[8] The 1937 station was used for storage until it was razed in 1994 when part of the station's parking lot was extended westward. The current station was designed by architect Richard Henry Behr.[16][17]

Ronkonkoma Yard is also located east of the station, in close proximity to the former Holbrook station, which was torn down in 1962.[18] Ronkonkoma station has also served commuters from the former Holtsville station since its closure in March 1998.[8]

Station layout

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This station is set up using the Spanish solution with three high-level platforms, each 12 cars long. Platform B, an island platform, facilitates a cross-platform interchange when a Ronkonkoma Branch train and a Greenport train arrive at the same time on opposite tracks.

M Mezzanine Crossover between platforms and station building
P
Platform level 		Platform A, side platform Disabled access
Track 1 ←      Ronkonkoma Branch toward Grand Central Madison or Penn Station (Central Islip)
     Ronkonkoma Branch limited service toward Greenport (Medford) →
     Ronkonkoma Branch termination track →
Platform B, island platform Disabled access
Track 2 ←      Ronkonkoma Branch toward Grand Central Madison or Penn Station (Central Islip)
     Ronkonkoma Branch limited service toward Greenport (Medford) →
     Ronkonkoma Branch termination track →
Platform C, side platform Disabled access
Ground level Station building, parking, buses, taxis

Future

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Midway Crossing

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In February 2024, the Federal Aviation Administration approved the Town of Islip's plan to erect a new airport terminal on the north side of MacArthur Airport, adjacent to the south side of the Ronkonkoma LIRR station; the project is to be constructed as part of the Midway Crossing project.[19][20] The $3.3 billion project will directly connect the Ronkonkoma LIRR station with the new airport terminal via a pedestrian walkway, creating a direct LIRR connection to the airport without needing to transfer to buses or taxis.[19][20]

Amtrak service

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In January 2025, Suffolk County Executive Edward Romaine, along with Amtrak officials, officially announced that a new Long Island branch of Amtrak's Northeast Regional would serve – and terminate at – the Ronkonkoma station, with intermediate stops at Jamaica and Hicksville east of Penn Station. It was reported that work was expected to begin in 2026, and that Amtrak service was anticipated to commence in 2028, at the earliest. Trains would operate using diesel on Long Island. Required infrastructure upgrades for the service would likely include an additional platform and track at Ronkonkoma. Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said that Amtrak wanted the extension, in part, due to Ronkonkoma's location next to Long Island MacArthur Airport.[21]

Bus depot

[edit]

In January 2025, it was announced by Suffolk County that, in addition to the new Amtrak service at Ronkonkoma, a new passenger bus depot will also be built on the south side the station, primarily serving Suffolk County Transit buses.[21]

Mid-Suffolk Yard

[edit]

The Mid-Suffolk Yard – also known as the Ronkonkoma Yard – is a 23-track train storage yard, located just to the east of the Ronkonkoma Long Island Rail Road station.[22] As this is the eastern end of the electrified portion of the Main Line, the yard stores the LIRR's electric multiple unit train sets that are used on the Ronkonkoma Branch.[22]

In preparation for the LIRR's East Side Access expansion to Grand Central Terminal, the MTA added 11 new tracks to the yard, for a total of 23 tracks.[22] The expansion used space already owned by the MTA located immediately to the south of the existing rail yard and north of MacArthur Airport. The increase in storage space allowed the MTA to increase peak-hour service to Manhattan. The project was budgeted for $128.0 million.[23][24][25] Locations in Deer Park, Central Islip, and Yaphank were also considered for the construction of the yard. The Deer Park option was dismissed as it would have impacted several grade crossings, duplicated employee facilities and as it would not have benefited riders east of the station. The Central Islip site was dismissed as it would have been located in Connetquot River State Park. The Yaphank option was rejected because of the high cost of electrification and the requirement that stations between Ronkonkoma and Yaphank receive upgrades.[26]

The construction work was initially expected to be finished by late 2018.[25] Construction was to start in September 2017, with completion being pushed back to March 2020.[27] A construction award was finally made in December 2017, and the completion date was pushed back to late 2020.[28]: 32  The yard was ultimately completed in November 2020.[29]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Long Island Rail Road (May 14, 2012). "TIMETABLE No. 4" (PDF). p. III. Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  2. ^ Greyhound Lines. "Greyhound bus stop: Ronkonkoma LIRR Park & Ride in Ronkonkoma, NY". Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  3. ^ Average weekday, 2006 LIRR Origin and Destination Study
  4. ^ "Ronkonkoma Milepost 48-49; Emery map - October 1957". www.trainsarefun.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  5. ^ "View Wye North (1978 Photo by Steve Lynch)". www.trainsarefun.com. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  6. ^ "Ronkonkoma LIRR Station". maps.511mobility.org. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  7. ^ a b c "HERMANNVILLE". arrts-arrchives.com. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "LIRR Ronkonkoma Electrification 1987". www.trainsarefun.com. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  9. ^ "Hermannville Map". Arrts Arrchives. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  10. ^ Tucker, Luther (1851). The Cultivator. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  11. ^ The Genesee Farmer. Joseph Harris. 1851. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  12. ^ "1855 Hermanville Map". Arrts Arrchives. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  13. ^ "Hermanville Station". Arrt's Arrchives. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  14. ^ "Hermanville Description". Arrt's Arrchives. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  15. ^ "Railroad Station Burns". The Times Union. Brooklyn, New York. February 7, 1933. p. 3. Retrieved May 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  16. ^ "Richard Henry Behr Architect, P.C. – Ronkonkoma LIRR Station". rhbpc.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  17. ^ "Ronkonkama Train Station". www.rhbpc.com. October 1, 2011. Archived from the original on October 1, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2025.
  18. ^ "Ronkonkoma/Holbrook Milepost 49-50; Emery map (TrainsAreFun.com)". TrainsAreFun.com. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  19. ^ a b Desmond, Sam (February 1, 2024). "$3.3 billion airport project clears FAA approval". The Suffolk County News. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  20. ^ a b Ledda, Brianne (January 7, 2024). "Midway Crossing development project clears a hurdle with FAA approval". Newsday. Retrieved June 12, 2024.
  21. ^ a b Crawford, Logan (January 10, 2025). "Suffolk County executive: Amtrak coming to Ronkonkoma LIRR station". News 12 Long Island. Retrieved January 19, 2025;White, Mike (January 15, 2025). "Massive plans inch forward in Ronkonkoma, and Amtrak on the way". Greater Long Island. Retrieved January 15, 2025;White, Mike (January 17, 2025). "Amtrak: Too soon to set date for 'potential' Ronkonkoma service". Greater Long Island. Retrieved January 19, 2025.
  22. ^ a b c "Mid-Suffolk Yard". www.mta.info. Archived from the original on March 1, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  23. ^ "MTA Capital Program Oversight Meeting" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. January 2013. p. 8. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  24. ^ "MTA Long Island Rail Road Committee Meeting" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. November 2017. p. 35. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  25. ^ a b "Mid-Suffolk Yard Schedule". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  26. ^ "Mid-Suffolk Yard Alternatives Analysis" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  27. ^ "L60601YN New Mid Suffolk Electric Yard". web.mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  28. ^ "Capital Program Oversight Committee Meeting" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. May 20, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  29. ^ "Completed Construction on Mid-Suffolk Yard Helps Increase Future Capacity". MTA. November 27, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
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Media related to Ronkonkoma (LIRR station) at Wikimedia Commons

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