Stony Brook station (LIRR)

This article is about a Long Island Rail Road commuter station in Stony Brook, New York. For the station on the MBTA Orange Line, see Stony Brook (MBTA station).

Stony Brook is a historic station on the Port Jefferson Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. It is located in Stony Brook, New York, adjacent to the campus of Stony Brook University, on the southeast side of New York State Route 25A, across the street from the its intersection with Cedar Street. There is also a gated at-grade pedestrian crossing between the station and a parking lot at the University – one of only a few stations on the Long Island Rail Road to feature such crossings.

Stony Brook
The Stony Brook station house prior to being restored, as seen from the south side of NY 25A.
General information
Location	New York State Route 25A & Chapman Street Stony Brook, New York
Coordinates	40°55′12.99″N 73°7′42.65″W / 40.9202750°N 73.1285139°W / 40.9202750; -73.1285139
Owned by	MTA
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	Suffolk County Transit: 51 Stony Brook University Buses: O (outer loop), R (railroad)^[1]
Construction
Parking	Yes
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Fare zone	10
History
Opened	1873
Rebuilt	1917, 2010–2011, 2018
Passengers
2006	1,448^[2]
Services
Preceding station Long Island Rail Road Following station St. James toward Penn Station, Grand Central or Long Island City Port Jefferson Branch diesel service Port Jefferson Terminus
Former services Preceding station Long Island Rail Road Following station Flowerfield toward Hicksville Wading River Branch Setauket toward Wading River

The station serves approximately 2,330 passengers each weekday.^[3]

History

 

The Stony Brook University sign at the Stony Brook LIRR station

The Stony Brook station was built in 1873 by the Smithtown and Port Jefferson Railroad (although some sources have claimed it was built in 1888), and rebuilt in 1917.^[4][5] Despite the impact of the arrival of Stony Brook University in 1957, the station has remained a small one-story depot. Parking has always been limited, but efforts to increase capacity at the station have been attempted both by SUNY and NYSDOT.

When the Flowerfield station (to the west) closed in 1958 and the Setauket station (to the east) closed in 1980, Stony Brook station became the penultimate station on the Port Jefferson Branch. In 1989, the station underwent a renovation project, including 12-car-long high-level platforms, a pedestrian overpass, and straightening of the tracks, as well as a new parking lot on the Stony Brook University campus.^[6][7] Beginning in April 2010, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority planned a renovation project that was intended to last until January 2011.^[8]

In 2018, the station underwent a major renovation project, taking place between that August and October.^[9][10] The renovation updated the interior and exterior of the station house, added USB charging stations, free public Wi-Fi, new benches and new CCTV security cameras.^[11]

Station layout

Stony Brook is a double-tracked station, but on both ends of the station, the two tracks merge into one. Most trains use Platform B in both directions.^{[citation needed]} Between 1986 and 1988, high level platforms were added and the two tracks were slightly realigned, creating a small parking lot between the station building and the platforms.

M	Mezzanine	Crossover between platforms
P Platform level	Platform A, side platform
	Track 1	←      Port Jefferson Branch limited weekday service →
	Track 2	←      Port Jefferson Branch toward Huntington, Hunterspoint Avenue, Jamaica, Long Island City, or Penn Station (St. James) ←      Port Jefferson Branch toward Port Jefferson (Terminus) →
	Platform B, side platform
	Ground level	Exit/entrance and parking

References

1. "Stony Brook University Shuttle Map" (PDF). Stony Brook University. Fall 2022. Retrieved August 30, 2022.
2. Average weekday, 2006 LIRR Origin and Destination Study
3. "Stony Brook Station Enhancement (Completed 04/2019)". A Modern LI. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
4. ^[usurped]
5. Morrison, David D.; Pakaluk, Valerie (2003). Long Island Rail Road Stations. Images of Rail. Chicago: Arcadia Publishing. p. 80. ISBN 0-7385-1180-3. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
6. Freedman, Mitchell (March 29, 1989). "Work on Track at Station: New parking lots, platform planned at Stony Brook". Newsday (Suffolk ed.). p. 135 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Eastbound view of Stony Brook Station track project in 1988, by John Volpi (TrainsAreFun.com)
8. Stony Brook Station Renovations Underway (MTA)
9. "Construction Underway at Stony Brook Station - A Modern LI". A Modern LI. August 13, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
10. "Construction at Stony Brook Station Scheduled for Completion End of October 2018 - A Modern LI". A Modern LI. October 1, 2018. Retrieved October 25, 2018.
11. Construction, M. T. A.; Development. "Modern History: Celebrating Stony Brook Station". A Modern LI. Retrieved March 8, 2022.

External links

•   Media related to Stony Brook (LIRR station) at Wikimedia Commons
• Stony Brook – LIRR
• Stony Brook LIRR timetable
• STONY Interlocking (The LIRR Today)
• Stony Brook University Campus Bus Map (PDF.file)
• ^[usurped]
• Station House from Google Maps Street View
• Two images from 1905 (TrainsAreFun.com)