The Long Island Rail Road began work this week to extend the siding at the Southampton station in order to provide additional space for crews to stage trains, manage train movements, and reduce delays.
The extension at the Southampton station will lengthen the existing siding, which is a section of track that allows trains to move off the main line, by approximately 80 feet. This is expected to enhance overall service reliability and to be especially beneficial during the summer season, according to Assemblyman Tommy John Schiavoni, who announced the project on Monday.
The siding extension will support smoother daily operations along the Montauk branch by improving the ability of crews to maneuver trains more efficiently, according to the assemblyman. The added operational flexibility is a component in ongoing efforts to improve rail service for residents and visitors traveling to and from the South Fork.
“What it will do is allow a longer train to pull off on the siding in Southampton,” Mr. Schiavoni told The Star this week, “and it would utilize the siding currently in the integrated signal system of the L.I.R.R. If you build a new siding, you have to integrate the signaling for that into the system. This is an active siding. They’re going to extend it and make it possible for longer trains that service New York City to utilize, as well as the South Fork Commuter Connection.”
