ELMONT, N.Y. (WCBS 880) — The Long Island Rail Road on Tuesday opened its first new station in 50 years to help New York Islanders fans get to their new arena in Elmont.
“We look forward to welcoming all of you to a game, to a concert, to an event and we look forward to working with the Elmont community,” said Islanders co-owner Jon Ledecky.
The Elmont Station will initially only offer eastbound service to the new home of the Islanders, the UBS Arena, and nearby Belmont Park, beginning Saturday, Nov. 20.
The beginning of service will coincide with the Islanders’ first game at the new stadium.
“This new station will provide an essential transportation option for hockey and music fans,” Ledecky said. “We want fans to take the most sustainable way to come to a game. It's fast, it's efficient, it's effective.”
Service at the station will increase next summer when the westbound platform opens, until then, fans from western portions of Long Island will have to find a different route from the nearby Queens Village Station, according to LIRR Senior Vice President of Operations Rob Free.
“You get off at Queens Village Station, you get on a shuttle bus which takes you to the arena. For Hempstead branch trains, you can come from Jamaica, get off here… or you can go to Jamaica and take a train to Belmont Park,” Free explained.
He noted that fans may try driving at first but, once they see the traffic, they'll opt for the train.
When both platforms are open, the station will feature two 12-car-long platforms with canopies, elevators, a pedestrian overpass, USB charging stations, security cameras, Wi-Fi, a state-of-the-art snow melting system embedded in the concrete of the platforms and more, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office.
"Nothing says New York is back like building bigger and better transportation infrastructure," Hochul said. "Just in time for the Islanders' season opener, the start of service for the first new LIRR station in 50 years is the type of project that my administration will continue to pursue as we strive to make Long Island more accessible and give Long Islanders the quality public transportation they deserve."
The new LIRR station was paid for by the MTA with the arena's developers promising to pay the money back over the next 30 years.
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