Greater Moriches coverage is funded in part by Peconic Bay Medical Center, a place that is here for life’s most defining moments.
The Long Island Rail Road opened its newest station Friday, officially relocating the historic Yaphank stop three miles east to a more accessible location near Brookhaven National Laboratory.
The new Yaphank-BNL station is located within the Shirley Industrial Park, just off William Floyd Parkway and near the Long Island Expressway.
One ceremonial train served the station Friday, with the full schedule set to begin this weekend. The full schedule can be found on MTA’s TrainTime app. With a transfer at Ronkonkoma, the trip to Penn Station will take just under two hours.
The station replaces the original Yaphank stop beneath the Yaphank Avenue overpass, which had long ranked among the least-used stations in the entire LIRR system.
“The old Yaphank station has been around since 1844. Maybe the location back then made sense, but it does not work well for today’s customers,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said during Friday’s opening ceremony.
“The old Yaphank station was historically the least-used station in the entire Long Island Rail Road system.”
The new station includes a two-car island platform, a covered shelter, an automatic snow- and ice-melting system and a 50-space parking lot with ADA-accessible spaces.
It also features a kiss-and-ride loop for pickups and drop-offs, customer information screens, a public address system, security cameras and emergency help points.
Unlike the former station, Yaphank-BNL is fully accessible.
“We completed this station together with Long Island Rail Road forces on time and under budget,” said Jamie Torres-Springer, president of MTA Construction & Development. “We saved $3 million on this project.”
The new station remains on the diesel-powered section of the Ronkonkoma Branch. Riders traveling west will connect with electric Ronkonkoma Branch service, with transfers required between diesel and electric trains.
During the opening ceremony, Lieber announced that the MTA has initiated a feasibility study to examine potential improvements east of Ronkonkoma, including adding a second track and electrifying portions of the line.
“Currently, there is only one track east of Ronkonkoma station, and the trains use diesel power since this part of the system is not electrified,” Lieber said. “As a result, service is somewhat limited.”
The study will examine adding a second track toward Riverhead, which Lieber said could allow the LIRR to operate more trains in both directions.
“Electrifying part of the branch is also on the table, which in a different way would mean faster trains, more frequent service and an additional level of convenience,” he said.
The study is expected to be completed in 2027.
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said the new station could eventually attract riders from communities across the North and South shores, particularly if the line is expanded and electrified.
“I want you to look at this parking lot because, done right, a year from now you’re going to be looking to expand it,” Romaine said.
“Particularly if you go with the second rail and if you electrify to Brookhaven Lab, you are going to see ridership from the North Shore and the South Shore come here as opposed to driving to Ronkonkoma.”
A major goal of the relocation is to create a stronger connection with Brookhaven National Laboratory, located about four miles north of the station.
The internationally recognized research campus employs more than 2,500 people and hosts thousands of visiting researchers, facility users and students each year.
The lab is also involved in the development of the Electron-Ion Collider, a multibillion-dollar particle accelerator project expected to draw scientists and students from around the world.
“This station is truly a game changer for the Brookhaven Lab community,” said Ann Emrick, the laboratory’s deputy director for operations.
“We host over 30,000 students a year, from grade school through college. We had over 800 interns last year alone across our multiple programs. Many of them live on campus. They will love this. We know that.”
The station is about a seven-minute shuttle ride from Brookhaven Lab, roughly half the travel time from the former Yaphank station.
It is also near several major employers, including Amazon, and only a few miles from The Boulevard, a growing residential and mixed-use development.
MTA and Brookhaven Town officials broke ground on the station during rainy and windy conditions in 2024, marking the culmination of a yearslong effort to move the stop from its isolated former location.
Top: All photos by Greater Long Island’s Nick Esposito
Your Long Island news, delivered.
Subscribe to the GLI Newsletter — its free
