Event Goers Taking Advantage of LIRR Record On-Time Performance to Attend Events at UBS Arena
Elmont-UBS Arena Station Is First New LIRR Station in Nearly 50 Years
See Video of Station Celebration
See Photos of Station Celebration
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) today joined officials from UBS Arena in celebrating the one millionth train rider to travel to or from a UBS Arena event. UBS officials identified the rider as father and son duo Steve Sosnick and Michael Sosnick from New Canaan, Connecticut, who were on their way to a New York Islanders game against the Colorado Avalanche.
The Sosnicks took Metro-North Railroad to Grand Central Terminal, where they connected through Grand Central Madison and took the 6:03p.m. Hempstead LIRR train to the Elmont-UBS Arena Station, arriving at 6:35 p.m.
Elmont-UBS Arena Station, the first new LIRR station in almost 50 years, opened with eastbound service on Nov. 20, 2021, to coincide with the first New York Islanders home game at the arena. Two-way service to the station started on October 6, 2022.
“I am thrilled to welcome the one millionth rider to UBS Arena on the Long Island Rail Road, the fastest, safest, and most affordable way to attend events,” said LIRR President Rob Free. “By working with our partners at UBS Arena to create an amazing customer experience on event days, we’re continuing to build on the LIRR's commitment to improving and expanding mass transit to get people out of their cars and onto trains.”
“We build stations to become pillars of their community, and we're proud to see Elmont-UBS Arena become an indispensable part of living, working, and rooting for the Islanders in Nassau County,” said MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer. “Public-private partnerships like this one are one way we're building better, faster, cheaper projects to provide great public transit service across the Long Island Rail Road and the entire region.”
“We are excited to celebrate the millionth ride through to the Elmont-UBS Arena station. Having this as an option on the grounds at Belmont Park provides our guests from all across the region an efficient and easy transportation option to get to the venue, which we have seen them leverage in great numbers since the station opened,” said Mike Sciortino, General Manager of UBS Arena. “We thank the Long Island Rail Road and the MTA for their partnership on this venture and look forward to welcoming more fans to UBS Arena via the train in the years to come.”
This transformative project was just one of a group of mega projects that has modernized and expanded the Long Island Rail Road recently; a second track added to the Ronkonkoma Branch, the Main Line Third Track and the opening of Grand Central Madison.
The MTA worked with New York State to overcome generations of inertia by modernizing the railroad; increasing safety and improving air quality through multiple towns and villages by eliminating multiple grade crossings, and creating a schedule with more service than at any other period in the LIRR’s 190-year history.
All of these improvements have helped the LIRR achieve record on time performance (OTP), surging customer satisfaction rates, and now one million trips to and from UBS Arena since it opened on Nov. 20, 2021, for the New York Islanders game against the Calgary Flames.
Construction of the new station came at zero cost to the LIRR and MTA. Arena developers and New York State partnered to fully finance the estimated $105 million project. Of the total cost, more than 90% was paid by the arena developers with New York State contributing the remainder. The State’s contribution is a fraction of the new tax revenue the project is expected to generate. This project shows the transformation that public-private partnerships can have on public transportation.
Elmont-UBS Arena Station features two 12-car-long, high-level platforms with canopies, USB charging stations, Help Points, security cameras, digital signs with train arrival information, Wi-Fi, and a state-of-the-art snow melting system embedded in the concrete of the platforms to ensure they remain free of snow and ice during winter storms. The station is fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, featuring a wide pedestrian overpass designed to accommodate large crowds and two elevators, one for each platform.
Elmont-UBS Arena Station became a full-time station on the Hempstead Branch in Feb. 2023 with service 365 days a year.