Ridership on the Ronkonkoma Branch of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) increased enough over the past decade to reach the 50,000/weekday ridership mark, prompting the MTA to renovate both the track between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma and the platforms and stations dotting the 17 miles stretch. The ‘Double Track’ project - completed in 2018 - was the end result; a comprehensive solution for ‘crowd reduction, delay prevention, and service improvements’. One major component of the project was a complete renovation of Wyandanch Station, including new canopies to keep riders out of the elements. In order to ensure longevity but maintain a cohesive visual style throughout the station redesign, the designer selected a beige Endure Linear as the ceiling system.
Train stations are - by design - heavily occupied by riders waiting to make their trek to their destination for the day, and Wyandanch is no different. While remaining busy is inherently an excellent problem for stations and platforms to have, with trains running nearly 24 hours a day (even during construction) there are limited options for two very important aspects of remodeling platform areas: installation and maintenance.
Installation is difficult because safety must be of primary concern for both contractors and riders. Often this requires all ladders, lifts, and those occupying them to be removed from the platform as trains approach/depart. Endure Linear provides an excellent answer to this problem as the installation process is incredibly quick, requires no tools for attachment, and can be installed at nearly 125ft²/hour by a single installer.
Additionally, even though trains run on a tight - albeit often late - schedule, maintenance and cleaning are also of concern since these tasks are often performed irregularly on platforms. To combat this problem, the design approach has to be focused on materials that are heavily resistant to abuse (either natural in cause or from riders) and innately repel dirt, dust, and stains. In this case also, Endure Linear is an excellent solution as the extruded polymer strip system has been tested for a wide variety of applications including wind load (ASTM E330, 207mph), thermal resistance (-58° to 162° F), and graffiti removal (pressure wash removal).
With hundreds of film options and nearly limitless color availability, Endure linear can meet both the design aesthetic and the daily abuse - from weather and riders alike - required for any outdoor platform or station application.
