LIRR's Elmont-UBS Arena station to get full-time service
The first LIRR train arrives at the new Elmont-UBS Arena station in 2021. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Major scheduling changes are in store for Long Island Rail Road stations serving two major sporting and entertainment venues, LIRR officials said Friday.
The railroad plans to launch full-time service at its new Elmont-UBS Arena on Feb. 27, and also discontinue service to Mets-Willets Point outside of event days.
Since opening in October 2021, the Elmont-UBS Arena station has only been served during events at the arena. Local residents and elected officials have, for years, pushed for the railroad to provide a full-time station to serve Elmont commuters.
“Elmont-UBS Arena will become a full-time station with train service 365 days a year, eliminating for many the need to transfer at Jamaica,” the railroad told riders in an emailed message Friday.
The station, located between Queens Village and Bellerose, will be served by all Hempstead branch trains, and also most Huntington and Ronkonkoma trains on weekday evenings and during most of the day on weekends. The LIRR said the changes mean that the Elmont-UBS Arena station will be served by four or more trains an hour.
The changes come as the LIRR overhauls its schedule for the launch of regular service to its new Manhattan terminal, Grand Central Madison. With Elmont-UBS Arena becoming a full-time stop, the railroad is also discontinuing its shuttle train service between the old Belmont station and Jamaica during event days. The railroad plans to continue running trains to and from Belmont during the horse racing season.
The LIRR also announced that, starting Feb. 27, trains will only stop at Mets-Willets Point during event days, including Mets games at Citi Field. It’s a return to the service plan that was in place for the station before the COVID-19 pandemic. The railroad added Mets-Willets Point as a regular stop on the Port Washington line in 2021 because Citi Field was being used as a COVID-19 vaccination site.
Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.
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