Officials unveil Mastic-Shirley LIRR station's $7.5 million renovation

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All aboard for a brighter ride.

Railroad and local officials announced on Wednesday the substantial completion of nearly $7.5 million worth of renovations at the Long Island Rail Road’s Mastic-Shirley station on the Montauk Branch.

The project, completed within its $7.49 million budget, brings the station to a state of good repair while modernizing its amenities.

Key improvements include:

New sheltered 2,000-square-foot plaza area featuring historic photos
Reconstructed platform shelter
New LED lighting throughout for a brighter environment
Upgraded security and communication systems
Digital information screen
Illuminated bollards

The renovation project replaced the 65-year-old station building and featured concrete repairs to the platform, under-platform support, and the ADA accessible ramp, LIRR President Rob Free said. Workers also replaced the entire platform tactile strip and installed a new wave-shaped bike rack as part of the MTA’s Bike, Pedestrian, and Micromobility Strategic Action Plan.

Additional improvements included refinished and repainted railings throughout the station, new station signage, a LIRR system map, new benches, granite seating and a granite planter.

“We are thrilled to welcome Mastic-Shirley customers to a brighter and spruced-up station,” Free said, speaking at a press conference and unveiling of the completed aspects of the project. “This renovation is a reminder of the importance of a fully funded capital plan, which will allow us to continue to upgrade our system.”

‘A great day’

“Any day that we get an improvement here is a great day for our community, so we’re excited about the new amenities that are here at the station. I must say they were tastefully done and very nice looking,” said Mastic-based Suffolk County Legislator Jim Mazzarella.

The work was performed by LIRR in-house teams and Orange County Engineering (OCE) Contracting, a Wallkill, New York-based company.

“We’re proud to deliver another on-budget improvement project for Long Islanders,” MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said. “The reconstructed platform shelter and new station shelter plaza at Mastic-Shirley create a well-lit and welcoming area for customers.”

Community groups helped pave the way

Brookhaven Town Council Member Karen Dunne Kesnig expressed gratitude to community groups involved in the project.

“I’m thrilled that we’re finally here, that we’re here to celebrate this occasion. It was much needed in this community,” she said. “I’m extremely thankful to the community groups, particularly the William Floyd Community Summit and the Mastic-Shirley Chamber, who were part of this process the entire time, and Brookhaven Town Historian Barbara Russell, who helped choose all the pictures that are up there.”