Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine announced to the greater community that Amtrak—the country’s only intercity passenger railroad—is heading to Ronkonkoma.
“Amtrak wanted to be adjacent to an airport,” Romaine said, with Long Island MacArthur Airport more than satisfying that request. “To them, that’s golden.”
Reads the initial statement from Amtrak: “Amtrak is working in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration and MTA Long Island Rail Road to study the extension of Amtrak’s Northeast Regional service to Ronkonkoma.”
Since their announcement, the company has indicated the exact arrival of Amtrak accessibility within Ronkonkoma would still be at least a few years out.
“The first step of this multi-step process, the Service Development Plan (SDP), will begin this year,” Amtrak’s statement continues. “Once the SDP is complete, we will have a better understanding of the feasibility, costs, and timeline for potential implementation.”
Amtrak also revealed the proposed expansion is dependent on the delivery of Amtrak’s new Airo trainsets, which are also due by decade’s end. These will provide improved passenger amenities like modern comfortable seating, spacious restrooms, and contemporary food service experiences.
Usually, when hotels and new businesses are announced to inspire a pavilion of palpable commerce, said plans are met with natural resistance. Residents typically feel they ought to opt for a “better safe than sorry” mindset when mulling the traffic implications when anything new and noteworthy is introduced to their town.
However, Amtrak’s Ronkonkoma immersion means nothing but convenience—at least on paper in the interim. Days after the announcement, the only modicum of negativity expressed has been from supporters simply wondering: “Why can’t it be here already?”
The prospect of not only enhancing the luxury and comfort factor, but also eliminating Nassau and Suffolk County returnees’ transfer protocol at Penn Station, is positively charging up former townsfolk.
One Washington, D.C.-based couple who grew up in Suffolk County told The South Shore Press that even if Amtrak does not come to Ronkonkoma until 208, it will be worth the wait. Their commutes back home to see family will be made that much better, and significantly less stressful moving forward with a transferless “straight shot.”
Reportedly, Amtrak trains departing Ronkonkoma will stop in Hicksville and Jamaica before docking in the city. At this point, the Manhattan-bound Amtrak line will then connect with the Northeast Corridor—which sports a 457-mile rail line running north to Boston and south to Washington, D.C.
As for those shepherding these and related reins on the homefront, Romaine is hopeful the Amtrak operation—coupled with the long-stalled, multi-billion dollar “Midway Crossing Plan”—will make Ronkonkoma a regional transportation and business hub within the next five to 10 years. Midway Crossing would see MacArthur Airport Terminal relocated from Veterans Highway, and a flurry of new shopping options for passengers in transit and locals alike.
“This will be a major game changer,” he said.