At the Stony Brook train station recently, officials gathered to renew the call for the LIRR to electrify the Port Jefferson line. The idea - which dates back to at least the 1980s - would provide a much-needed boost to the local economy and benefit the environment, according to a statement released by Brookhaven Town Supervisor Ed Romaine.
Currently, LIRR tracks east of Huntington are not electrified and use dual-mode locomotives that switch from electric to diesel, which according to the officials are slower and more harmful to the environment. Port Jefferson branch is one of the busiest branches of the LIRR, serving more than 19 million riders a year according to a pre-pandemic, 2018 LIRR Ridership Report.
“Electrification would provide faster, more efficient service and attract people to live in the communities with close access to the railroad,” said Supervisor Romaine. “The economic upside would be felt throughout the town as more people choose to live here, and our young people decide to stay because of the improved LIRR service and easier access in and out of New York City.”
He also urged the State, MTA and LIRR to fully electrify the Main Line and Montauk branches.
“The air contaminating diesel locomotives that are now in use are both an anachronism and embarrassment,” said NYS Assemblyman Steve Englebright. “Ending our reliance on outdated and unclean diesel engines and switching to electrical power will not only cut down on travel times but also reduce the profoundly negative impact that the trains have on the environment which is a win for everyone.”
Environmentalists are worried that diesel trains are contaminating Long Island.
“The current diesel trains are dumping tons of carbon into the air each day, adding to the climate crisis we are now experiencing everywhere on the planet,” said George Hoffman, Co-founder of the Setauket Harbor Task Force.
Hoffman also encouraged electrification of the Main Line and Montauk branches in addition to the Port Jefferson line.
If electrification does happen in Port Jefferson, it could also mean a solution for the Lawrence Aviation Superfund site nearby, contaminated by decades of illegal chemical dumping. The chemical plume wound its way underneath Port Jefferson Village and emptied into the harbor. The EPA is currently remediating the site. The Lawrence Aviation Industries site could be utilized as a rail yard by the LIRR for electric trains.
Electrification would also give a shot in the arm to the revitalization efforts that Port Jefferson Village is currently undertaking in its uptown area just north of the LIRR station.