The Project
The Project
The LIRR Expansion Project from Floral Park to Hicksville, one of the region’s most significant transportation infrastructure projects, will improve mass transit, reduce traffic congestion, protect the environment, and enhance quality-of-life for communities along the Main Line. Major project elements include the elimination of seven grade crossings, new parking facilities, upgrades to railroad infrastructure and passenger rail stations, and other local improvements.
The completed project will enable more robust and reliable rail service, make living and working on Long Island easier and ensure the region’s economic prosperity now and for the next century. The project began in January 2018 and is anticipated to be completed by late 2022.
Today, approximately 40% of LIRR riders travel along this segment of the Main Line
The LIRR Expansion Project will exponentially strengthen the region’s economy; will improve peak train service and reliability, and reverse commuting; and will create a far more robust Main Line for the nation’s busiest commuter rail line.
We are making this vision a reality with our team of dedicated engineers and designers, all committed to a single mission: to bring this project in on time, on budget, and safely, while respecting the communities along the project corridor.
With the LIRR Expansion Project, we will be able to reliably run more trains on the Main Line during morning and evening peak periods, improve on-time performance, enable true bi-directional service during peak hours, and provide an alternate path for trains in the event of a breakdown or other issue. All this will result in reduced train congestion and delays, and more frequent and reliable service, including expanded options for off-peak travel.
The Main Line corridor’s seven street-level railroad crossings currently pose safety risks for drivers, pedestrians, and LIRR customers; cause substantial traffic delays, especially during rush hours; and generate noise from bells and train horns at all hours. Once the grade crossings are eliminated, there will be substantial safety and noise benefits for local communities.
The LIRR Expansion Project will include various station improvements and modifications; enhance ADA accessibility and pedestrian access; improve lighting, landscaping and other visual elements; and improve platforms and passenger waiting areas. The LIRR Expansion Project will also include parking modifications throughout the project corridor.
To reduce noise levels for residents living along the project corridor – noise reduction methods include the elimination of train horns and crossing-gate bells required at street-level train crossings in the project corridor and the installation of retaining walls and sound attentuation walls along the tracks in the project corridor.
Highway congestion and idle vehicles at existing at-grade crossings are a major contributor to air pollution. The LIRR Expansion Project will help all New Yorkers breathe easier by getting more people out of cars and onto mass transit. By improving the availability and reliability of rail service on the Main Line, the LIRR will be an even more attractive alternative to driving.
As population in the region grows so does vehicle traffic, and the need for better transit options becomes critical. Now more than ever, Long Island needs to leverage its mass transit infrastructure to attract new investments, create additional jobs, strengthen real estate values, and grow its economy.