The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that construction of station enhancements at the Long Island Rail Road's Merillon Avenue in Garden City has begun as part of the LIRR Expansion Project that will make the railroad safer, more reliable and allow for increased capacity and flexibility.

The platforms at the station will be extended to accommodate 12-car trains – the current platforms accommodate only 10-car trains – which will enable customers to more easily board and disembark. In turn, this will help to decrease dwell times at the station, and get customers where they need to go more quickly. To help facilitate this work, the western halves of the Merillon Avenue station’s platforms have closed as part of the complete reconstruction of the station. 

Two new elevators from the Nassau Boulevard sidewalk will also be installed, making the station fully ADA accessible for the first time. The rebuilt station will include improved pedestrian access, new stairs, ramps, railings and canopies, new digital displays, improved lighting, new platform furnishings including benches, shelters and signage, security cameras for improved safety, and free WiFi and USB charging stations. The station improvement will also include repaving of the north parking lot, tree planting and landscaping throughout the station area, along with new bike racks and art installations. The new station at Merillon Avenue, which was originally built in 1912, will be completed in 2020.

"The LIRR Expansion Project addresses many LIRR customer needs: from more track capacity to accommodate more trains, to increased safety and reliability for better train service, and upgraded stations bringing ADA access and well-thought-out amenities," MTA Chief Development Officer and President of MTA Capital Construction Janno Lieber said. "The updates coming at Merillon Avenue Station will not only completely transform the customer experience here, but the attractive design will be an aesthetically pleasing addition to the Garden City landscape."

While the western sections of the platforms are closed, passengers wishing to detrain at Merillon Avenue will be asked to use the first six cars of the train. During this time, the Roxbury Road entrance to the eastbound platform will be closed. All other access points to eastbound and westbound platforms will remain open. 

Customers have been and will continue to be informed about the closure through flyers handed out in parking lots and platforms as well as station and train announcements.

The demolition of western sections of platforms will be followed by their rebuilding beginning in the spring. This process will be repeated for the eastern sections of the platforms beginning in the fall. The station is scheduled to be fully reopened to the public following installation of the elevators, by late spring 2020.

“This in just one element of the LIRR Expansion Project that will make the railroad more convenient, reliable and safer for our customers,” LIRR President Phil Eng said. “It is one project of nearly 100 that will modernize the LIRR and create a true 21st century commuter experience that LIRR customers want and deserve.”

The LIRR Expansion Project will add a third track along nearly 10 miles of LIRR right-of-way from Floral Park to Hicksville, reducing train congestion and delays, increasing capacity, and enabling true bi-directional service during peak hours. This transformative work includes several related projects, including the construction of additional parking garages and improved station access, retaining and sound attenuation walls, improvements to rail bridges and the removal of the seven street-level railroad crossings in the corridor. Construction is being handled in a way to minimize the impact on daily routines, with extensive mitigation and public outreach efforts being planned in conjunction with local communities.

The LIRR Expansion Project is part of a multibillion-dollar modernization of the Long Island Rail Road, the largest investment the railroad has received in decades. Once the work is complete, the LIRR will have increased its capacity by nearly 50 percent. Together, the upgrades will help transform transportation across the region and provide a reliable, state-of-the-art rail system for Long Islanders.

For more information on the $6.6+ billion LIRR investment, visit aModernLI.com. For further details on the Merillon Avenue Station Enhancement, visit http://www.amodernli.com/project/merillon-avenue-station-enhancement/.