Uh-oh: MTA Chairman Lhota expresses concern about LIRR upgrade for Belmont; cost still unknown

So, Newsday's Jim Baumbach reports, in MTA chairman ‘concerned’ about expanding LIRR service to Islanders’ arena at Belmont Park:

[MTA Chairman Joe] Lhota, testifying before a state budget hearing in Albany, said two obstacles include the design of the current Belmont spur off the main line and their inability to add more trains during the evening rush hour when most Islanders fans would be traveling to weeknight games.
“We’re at capacity on the main line during rush hour, and so we’re going to have to look at that and weigh that in,” Lhota said under questioning by state Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach). “I’m concerned about how that’s going to all fit in at any one particular point in time.”

Also, the current service only works for trains coming from the west, such as Jamaica, which doesn't work for most Long Islanders, situated to the east.

The MTA is doing a study of the cost of upgrades. This adds a huge question mark regarding the public cost of the plan to build a new "privately financed" arena. It's an issue that should've been addressed up front.