The Long Island Rail Road will add year-round service to Montauk and make infrastructure upgrades on its busy Montauk Branch as ridership continues to climb, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday.
Starting in September, the LIRR’s 5:13 p.m. weekday train from Penn Station to Montauk will operate year-round, providing a one-seat ride from Manhattan to Montauk. The train has until now operated east of Speonk only during the summer.
The railroad also plans two infrastructure projects designed to improve reliability and create capacity for additional service.
The first will extend the track siding at the Amagansett station by 14 train-car lengths, reducing the longest stretch of single track on the Montauk Branch. That 27-mile stretch will be split in two — 16 miles on one side and 11 on the other.
Finished in spring 2028
(Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
The project is scheduled to kick off in early 2028 and be finished in spring 2029.
“The LIRR is already the best and most convenient way to travel to and from the East End, but for years, aging infrastructure has stood in the way of improving service to keep up with surging demand,” Hochul said.
“By making smart investments in our rail system, we can soon make jam-packed summer trains a thing of the past.”
Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free agreed.
“With a new year-round weekday one seat ride to Montauk from Penn Station, we’re delivering the kind of convenient, predictable service our customers deserve while supporting the tourism and local industries that power the East End,” he said.
The second project will make permanent a temporary second platform that was installed at Hampton Bays for the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. The project also will include track and signal upgrades, allowing the siding to accommodate trains of up to eight cars, compared with six currently.
The permanent second platform will let passengers board and exit trains in both directions without additional train movements, improving reliability and passenger flow. The project’s schedule will be developed during the planning and design process.
The improvements are part of the MTA’s $68 billion 2025-29 Capital Plan, which includes $6 billion for LIRR infrastructure and rolling stock. The Amagansett and Hampton Bays projects are expected to cost a combined $78 million.
The investments come as Montauk Branch ridership reaches record levels, officials said. The branch has carried 1.21 million passengers so far in 2026, up 6.4% from the same period last year.
During the summer, many East End trains operate at or near full capacity, according to the MTA.
At the podium is Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine (Marc A. Hermann / MTA).
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine noted that improvements to the railroad will alleviate congestion on the roads.
“The more we can invest in our infrastructure, the more we can invest in public transportation and using rail as opposed to road, the better off we can be,” he said.
“If you doubt that, try driving County Road 39 in the morning or in the afternoon, and you’ll understand what it means to have an adequate public transportation system.”
Top: (Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
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