Babylon LIRR Station Upgrade Reaches Major Milestone

• Babylon LIRR station's two 12-car platforms fully reopened June 3, ahead of peak summer ridership
• $127M renovation of the station's first major overhaul since 1964 is on time and on budget
• Two new ADA-compliant elevators are operational; the total elevator count rises from two to four at completion
• Substantial completion targeted December 2026; 167 trains run through Babylon daily

Platforms Open, Summer Ready

Babylon's LIRR station just cleared its biggest hurdle in a 62-year-old building's history. The MTA announced Wednesday the full reopening of both reconstructed 12-car platforms at the South Shore terminal, timed ahead of the station's busiest season.

"The project's proceeding on time and on budget, and now that all platforms have been reopened, with virtually zero impact to riders," said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber at the June 3 press event.

The $127 million overhaul is part of the LIRR's ADA Package 2, which also covers Forest Hills and Hollis stations, and kicked off in September 2024. Construction ran in two back-to-back eight-month phases, with crews working seven days a week to avoid carrying work into the summer rush. Phase 1 closed the western ends of both platforms in September 2024, reducing them from 12 cars to six. Phase 2 followed in September 2025, shifting to the eastern end while the newly rebuilt western sections reopened.

The result: 2,040 linear feet of fully replaced platform structure, 1,100 linear feet of new canopy, eight rebuilt stairwells, fresh lighting, and two new ADA elevators placed into service in September 2025.

What's Still Coming

The platforms are done, but roughly six months of finishing work remain, none of it requiring platform closures. LIRR President Rob Free put it plainly: "There is still construction to take place throughout the rest of the year, but the major work is done."

By December 2026, riders will also get two rehabilitated existing elevators (bringing the total to four), two replaced escalators, completed waiting rooms and canopy finishes, a new automated snow and ice melting system, ADA-compliant bathrooms and building doors, reconfigured parking, and a fully upgraded station plaza with new kiosks, signage, and lighting.

"This station has been transformed into a bright and modern facility that both our customers and the community can be proud of," Free said.

The Station's Stakes

Babylon is the terminal stop on the Babylon Branch and the primary transfer hub for riders heading to Montauk and the eastern end of Long Island. With 167 trains running through it every weekday, it's one of the LIRR's busiest. The station had gone without a major overhaul since 1964, and it showed.

MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer framed the project as a model for the agency's broader capital approach. "This project shows our commitment to smart, efficient construction that gives riders the improvements they deserve, all while maintaining the service they rely on."

Substantial completion is set for December 2026.