Republic station explained

Republic
Style:	LIRR
Coordinates:	40.7403°N -73.4219°W
Tracks:	2
Opened:	December 9, 1940
Closed:	1986 or 1987
Code:	None
Other Services Header:	Former services

Republic was a station stop along the Ronkonkoma Branch which served employees of the Fairchild Engine & Airplane Manufacturing Company and the nearby Republic Airport from 1940 to the late 1980s. As part of a double-tracking project on the line, the station may be reopened.

History

Original station

Republic station opened on December 9, 1940, with simple wooden shelters for passengers. When electrification was extended from Hicksville to Ronkonkoma in the 1980s, the LIRR proposed to close the stops at Republic, Grumman, Pineaire, Brentwood, and Deer Park to speed travel times and to avoid the cost of building high level platforms at lightly used stations.^[1] The latter two were ultimately kept, but Republic closed in either 1986 or 1987 due to its low ridership and the high cost of new platforms.^{[2] [3] [4]} The old station platforms have been removed, but the two staircases down to Route 110 remain, though gated off.

Proposed reopening

As part of the project that added a second track from Farmingdale to Ronkonkoma, the MTA is considering reopening Republic station.^{[5] [6]} The reopened station would serve the Route 110 corridor, a major north–south commercial route. The station was cut from the project in 2010 due to budgetary issues, but revived in 2012.^{[7] [8]} The MTA Board included money for planning and engineering in the approved 2015-2019 Capital Plan, and anticipates funding construction through a future Capital Plan.^[9]

External links

• Grumman and Republic and the Long Island Rail Road (Arrt's Arrchives)
• Former staircases visible on Google Maps Street View

Notes and References

1. News: L.I.R.R. SELECTS 5 OF ITS STATIONS FOR ELIMINATION . Goldman . Ari L. . May 14, 1983 . New York Times . June 22, 2015.
2. Web site: LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD Alphabetical Station Listing and History . TrainsAreFun . June 22, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170526225709/http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirrphotos/lirrstationshistory.htm . May 26, 2017 . mdy-all .
3. News: Station Site Envisioned as Village . Stewart . Ain . The New York Times . May 11, 2008 . February 12, 2010.
4. Web site: Connect Long Island: Double Track Main Line & TODs . Transportation Research Forum . April 3, 2014 . July 7, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150707165924/http://www.trforum.org/chapters/newyork/downloads/2014-04_LIRR.pdf . July 7, 2015 . mdy-all .
5. Web site: MTA LIRR Double Track Project - Ronkonkoma to Farmingdale (video) . https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211220/We0B6OB5fA0 . 2021-12-20 . live. Metropolitan Transportation Authority . January 16, 2013 . January 16, 2013.
6. News: MTA's 20-year to-do list replaces LIRR diesel trains, more . Newsday . October 3, 2013 . Castillo . Alfonso A. . June 22, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180306022943/http://www.newsday.com/long-island/mta-s-20-year-to-do-list-replaces-lirr-diesel-trains-more-1.6185656 . March 6, 2018.
7. News: Plans for Republic Airport LIRR station put on hold . Newsday . April 26, 2010 . Castillo . Alfonso A. . July 6, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20211028043345/http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/plans-for-republic-airport-lirr-station-put-on-hold-1.1881446 . October 28, 2021.
8. News: Senators Announce $138 Million To Advance New Republic Train Station . Farmingdale Observer . June 1, 2012 . Hinko . Christy . July 6, 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150708175855/http://www.antonnews.com/farmingdaleobserver/news/23204-senators-announce-138-million-to-advance-new-republic-train-station-.html . July 8, 2015 . mdy-all .
9. Web site: MTA Board Approves 2015-2019 Capital Plan. October 28, 2015. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20151101002329/http://www.mta.info/news-capital-plan/2015/10/28/mta-board-approves-2015-2019-capital-program. November 1, 2015.