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Read the press release here.

Elmhurst LIRR Station Gets $40M Towards Reopening

By Katie Honan | September 29, 2014 1:04pm
 The funding for a new Long Island Rail Road station in Elmhurst was included in the MTA's capital plan
The funding for a new Long Island Rail Road station in Elmhurst was included in the MTA's capital plan
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DNAinfo/Katie Honan

ELMHURST — The Elmhurst Long Island Rail Road station is one step closer to reopening after $40 million was earmarked for the project in the MTA's capital plan.

If the MTA receives all the funding for its plan, the station on Broadway, between Cornish and Whitney avenues, could be reopened after closing nearly 30 years ago.

The money is a small portion of the $3.1 billion investment slated for the LIRR, which also includes replacing train cars, a new fare system and upgrades to parking facilities.

The railroad cited low ridership at the time of the station's closure but the neighborhood has seen a population increase over three decades, politicians said.

Rep. Joe Crowley and Councilman Danny Dromm first pushed for the reopening in 2012. Last year riders in Elmhurst were surveyed about their transportation needs.

Crowley and Dromm, along with Congresswoman Grace Meng, applauded the MTA's inclusion of the station in its plan in a joint statement.

“We are thrilled to learn the MTA agrees that investing in this community is a win-win and that they have included critical funding to rebuild the station in their recently proposed capital budget," they said.

They said they would work with the MTA to make sure the station remains a priority, according to the statement.