LIRR announces $76 million expansion of Ronkonkoma rail yard

RONKONKOMA (WABC) -- The MTA is releasing new details about a plan to make it easier for commuters to get from Long Island to the East Side.

The agency announced that it is spending $76 million to expand the Ronkonkoma rail yard, which will allow it to store double the amount of trains so that if one breaks down, another one can be pulled out quickly.

It's all part of the East Side Access Project, which aims to connect the LIRR to Grand Central Terminal so that riders don't have to end up at Penn Station.

That project is expected to be complete in 2022, and adding more trains at the Ronkonkoma hub will allow the LIRR to expand service to Grand Central once that project is finished.

"We will be able to accommodate more people," the LIRR's Pat Nowakowski said. "The whole East Side access plan is predicated up to a 20 percent increase in ridership on the Long Island Rail Road."

The rail yard project is also expected to create a significant number of local jobs. They'll also be building new employee facilities.

"We're anxious to get started on this project and put these people to work," said Richard O'Kane, of the Building Trades Council. "It's a great opportunity to work with the Long Island Rail Road."

"We're doing this together," said Anthony Simon, of the United Transportation Union. "This is our one voice, our one project, and we do it for the people of Nassau and Suffolk counties."