Work Begins On LIRR Station In East Hampton Village

The East Hampton Village train station is getting a face-lift.

The train station on Railroad Avenue, which shelters Long Island Rail Road passengers, is currently undergoing renovations. According to Aaron Donovan, deputy communications director for the LIRR, construction officially began on March 19, and the work is expected to be completed by March 2019.

Mr. Donovan indicated that train service would not be interrupted and that the work being performed in the station’s waiting room should be completed by this summer.

The revamped depot will have a classic look to it, as its design is meant to mirror the appearance of the station in 1895. This will involve removing the building’s current white paint and returning the facade to its original brick color. The work also will include restoring the trim on the windows to its original dark olive-green hue. The interior will be modern, with newly installed phone charging stations, Wi-Fi routers and digital ticket stands.

The village’s historical consultant, Robert Hefner, worked with the LIRR to design the renovation, with construction performed by Citnalta Construction Corp. of Bohemia and Peter Scalamandre and Sons Inc. of Freeport.

This isn’t the only train-related work being done in East Hampton Village. The LIRR has been replacing wooden railroad ties on the Montauk line between Patchogue and Speonk on weekdays since February 26 to renew the track infrastructure. The work is expected to be completed by May 18, with bus service being offered between Patchogue and Montauk on days when work is being done.

The LIRR also has been installing three concrete railroad crossings, on Wainscott Northwest Road, King Street and Osborne Lane, during weekdays.

The station in East Hampton Village is one of 16 in New York State being repaired or restored at the moment, thanks to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s $120 million plan to revamp the LIRR stations and improve route-wide connectivity.

With approximately $80 million set aside for the renovations and $5 million of that for each of the 16 stations, the first batch currently getting repairs, along with the one in East Hampton Village, include stations in Deer Park, Brentwood and Stony Brook. The second group that received state approval in January for construction include stations in Farmingdale, Merrick and Syosset.

Mr. Donovan said that Governor Cuomo’s project is also meant to provide additional connections to a new terminal at MacArthur Airport and a new stop at Brookhaven National Laboratory.