Long Island Rail Road

The Long Island Rail Road (reporting mark LI), often abbreviated as the L.I.R.R., is a commuter rail system in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County on Long Island. With an average weekday ridership of 354,800 passengers in 2016, it is the busiest commuter railroad in North America.[3][4] It is also one of the world's few commuter systems that runs 24/7 year-round.[5] It is publicly owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which refers to it as MTA Long Island Rail Road.

"LIRR" redirects here. For other uses, see Lirr (disambiguation).

Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road provides electric and diesel rail service east-west throughout Long Island, New York.
Overview
OwnerMetropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
Area servedLong Island
LocaleLong Island, New York
Transit typeCommuter rail
Number of lines11
Number of stations124
Chief executivePhilip Eng[1]
HeadquartersJamaica Station, Jamaica, New York, United States
Websitemta.info/lirr
Operation
Began operation1834 (1834)
Operator(s)Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Reporting marksLI
Technical
System length319 mi (513 km) (route); 700 mi (1,100 km) (total track length)
Track gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Top speed80 mph (130 km/h)[2]
System map

Gray lines represent freight-only branches, and other colors represent the corresponding passenger branches.

The LIRR logo combines the circular MTA logo with the text Long Island Rail Road, and appears on the sides of trains. The LIRR is one of two commuter rail systems owned by the MTA, the other being the Metro-North Railroad in the northern suburbs of the New York area. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest railroad in the United States still operating under its original name and charter.[6][7][8]

There are 124 stations and more than 700 miles (1,100 km) of track[8] on its two lines to the two forks of the island and eight major branches, with the passenger railroad system totaling 319 miles (513 km) of route.[9] As of 2018, the LIRR's budgetary burden for expenditures was $1.6 billion, which it supports through the collection of taxes and fees.[10]

History
Main article: History of the Long Island Rail Road
George Bradford Brainerd (American, 1845-1887). Station, Bay Shore, Long Island, September 1879. Collodion silver glass wet plate negative. Brooklyn Museum
LIRR (Montauk & NY) RPO cover (TR27) for the road's 100th anniversary in 1934

The Long Island Rail Road Company was chartered in 1834 to provide a daily service between New York and Boston via a ferry connection between its Greenport, New York, terminal on Long Island's North Fork and Stonington, Connecticut. This service was superseded in 1849 by the land route through Connecticut that became part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. The LIRR refocused its attentions towards serving Long Island, in competition with other railroads on the island. In the 1870s, railroad president Conrad Poppenhusen and his successor Austin Corbin acquired all the railroads and consolidated them into the LIRR.[11]

The LIRR was unprofitable for much of its history. In 1900, the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) bought a controlling interest as part of its plan for direct access to Manhattan which began on September 8, 1910. The wealthy PRR subsidized the LIRR during the first half of the new century, allowing expansion and modernization.[6] Electric operation began in 1905.[12]

After the Second World War, the railroad industry's downturn and dwindling profits caused the PRR to stop subsidizing the LIRR, and the LIRR went into receivership in 1949. The State of New York, realizing how important the railroad was to Long Island's future, began to subsidize the railroad in the 1950s and 1960s. In June 1965, the state finalized an agreement to buy the LIRR from the PRR for $65 million.[13] The LIRR was placed under the control of a new Metropolitan Commuter Transit Authority.[14] The MCTA was rebranded the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 1968 when it incorporated several other New York City-area transit agencies.[15][16] With MTA subsidies the LIRR modernized further, continuing to be the busiest commuter railroad in the United States.[6]

The LIRR is one of the few railroads that has survived as an intact company from its original charter to the present.[6]

Major stations
The LIRR ticket counter at Penn Station displays all locations accessible from Penn Station.
Long Island City station and yard
See also: List of Long Island Rail Road stations

The LIRR operates out of three western terminals in New York City, with a fourth expected by the early 2020s. Major terminals include:

In addition, the Jamaica station is a major hub station and transfer point in Jamaica, Queens. It has ten tracks and six platforms, plus yard and bypass tracks. Passengers can transfer between trains on all LIRR lines except the Port Washington Branch.[8] The sixth platform opened February 2020, and exclusively serves Atlantic Branch shuttle trains to Brooklyn.[20] Transfer is also made to separate facilities for three subway services at the Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport station (E​, ​J, and ​Z trains), a number of bus routes, and the AirTrain automated people mover to JFK Airport.[21] The railroad's headquarters are next to the station.[22]

Passenger lines and services
Schematic of LIRR's routes, as well as the fare zones. This schematic is not to scale.

The Long Island Rail Road system has eleven passenger branches.[23] Three of them are considered main trunk lines; however the trunk lines are in general not used in public:

They spin off eight minor branches.[23] For scheduling and advertising purposes some of these branches are divided into sections such as the case with the Montauk Branch, which is known as the Babylon Branch service in the electrified portion of the line between Jamaica and Babylon, while the diesel service beyond Babylon to Montauk is referred to as the Montauk Branch service. All branches except the Port Washington Branch pass through Jamaica; the trackage west of Jamaica (except the Port Washington Branch) is known as the City Terminal Zone. The City Terminal Zone includes portions of the Main Line, Atlantic, and Montauk Branches, as well as the Amtrak-owned East River Tunnels (Northeast Corridor) to Penn Station.[25]

Current branches

Former branches

The railroad has dropped a number of branches due to lack of ridership over the years. Part of the Rockaway Beach Branch became part of the IND Rockaway Line of the New York City Subway, while others were downgraded to freight branches, and the rest abandoned entirely. Additionally, the Long Island Rail Road operated trains over portions of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit (BRT) elevated and subway lines until 1917.[30]

Additional services

In addition to its daily commuter patronage, the LIRR also offers the following services:

Intermodal connections
The Mineola Intermodal Center (bottom left), as seen prior to the commencement of the construction on the Main Line's third track.

Penn Station offers connections with Amtrak intercity trains and NJ Transit commuter trains, as well as the PATH, New York City Subway, and New York City Bus systems.[43] Additionally, almost all stations in Brooklyn and Queens offer connections with the New York City Bus system, and several stations also have transfers to New York City Subway stations.[44] Transfers to Nassau Inter-County Express and Suffolk County Transit buses are available at many stations in Nassau and Suffolk counties, respectively.[45][46]

Fare structure

Like Metro-North Railroad and NJ Transit, the Long Island Rail Road fare system is based on the distance a passenger travels, as opposed to the New York City Subway and the area's bus systems, which charge a flat rate. The railroad is broken up into eight non-consecutively numbered fare zones. Zone 1, the City Terminal Zone, includes Penn Station, all stations in Brooklyn, and all stations in Queens west of Jamaica or Mets–Willets Point.[47] Zone 3 includes Jamaica and Mets–Willets Point, as well as all other stations in eastern Queens except Far Rockaway.[48] Zones 4 and 7 include all stations in Nassau County, plus Far Rockaway in Queens.[48] Zones 9, 10, 12 and 14 include all stations in Suffolk County.[48] Each zone contains many stations, and the same fare applies for travel between any station in the origin zone and any station in the destination zone.[48]

LIRR ticket vending machines, as seen at the Bethpage station.

Peak and off-peak fares

Peak fares are charged during the week on trains that arrive at western terminals between 6 AM and 10 AM, and for trains that depart from western terminals between 4 PM and 8 PM.[49] Any passenger holding an off-peak ticket on a peak train is required to pay a step up fee.[50] Passengers can buy tickets from ticket agents or ticket vending machines (TVMs) or on the train from conductors, but will incur an on-board penalty fee for doing so.[50] This fee is waived for customers boarding at a station without a ticket office or ticket machine, senior citizens, people with disabilities or Medicare customers.[50]

There are several types of tickets: one way, round trip, peak, off-peak, AM peak or off-peak senior/disabled, peak child, and off-peak child. On off-peak trains, passengers can buy a family ticket for children who are accompanied by an 18-year-old for $0.75 if bought from the station agent or TVM, $1.00 on the train. Senior citizen/disabled passengers traveling during the morning peak hours are required to pay the AM peak senior citizen/disabled rate. This rate is not charged during PM peak hours.[51]

Commuters can also buy a peak or off-peak ten trip ride, a weekly unlimited or an unlimited monthly pass.[52] Monthly passes are good on any train regardless of the time of day, within the fare zones specified on the pass.[52]

Special fares

During the summer the railroad offers special summer package ticket deals to places such as Long Beach, Jones Beach, the Hamptons, Montauk, and Greenport. Passengers traveling to the Hamptons and Montauk on the Cannonball can reserve a seat in the all-reserved Parlor Cars.[53]

Passengers going to Belmont Park must buy a special ticket to go from Jamaica to Belmont Park (or vice versa). Weekly and monthly passes are not accepted at Belmont Park.[54]

CityTicket

In 2003, the LIRR and Metro-North started a pilot program in which passengers traveling within the city limits were allowed to buy one-way tickets for $2.50.[55] The special reduced-fare CityTicket, proposed by the New York City Transit Riders Council,[55] was formally introduced in 2004.[56] On weekends, the railroad offers the CityTicket for passengers who travel within Zones 1 and 3 (i.e. within New York City). CityTickets can only be bought from ticket agents or machines and used on the day of purchase.[54] They are not valid for travel to Far Rockaway because it is in Zone 4 and the Far Rockaway Branch passes through Nassau County.[54] It is also not valid for travel to the Belmont Park station, which is only open for special events.[54]

Freedom Ticket

In fall 2017, the MTA was slated to launch a pilot that will allow LIRR, bus and subway service to use one ticket.[57] The proposal for the ticket, called the "Freedom Ticket," was initially put forth by the New York City Transit Riders Council (NYCTRC) in 2007.[58]:1 The NYCTRC wrote a proof of concept report in 2015.[59] At the time of the report, express bus riders from Southeast Queens had some of the longest commutes in the city, with their commutes being 96 minutes long, yet they paid a premium fare of $6.50. Riders who take the dollar van to the subway paid $4.75 to get to Manhattan in 65 minutes; riders who only took the bus and subway paid $2.75 to get to Manhattan in 86 minutes; and riders who took the LIRR paid $10 to get to Manhattan in 35 minutes.[58]:iii Unlike the CityTicket, the Freedom Ticket would be valid for off-peak and multidirectional travel; have free transfers to the subway and bus system; and be capped at $215 per month.[58]:1–2 At the time, monthly CityTickets cost $330 per month.[59]

The Freedom Ticket will initially be available for sale at the Atlantic Terminal, Nostrand Avenue, and East New York stations in Brooklyn and at the Laurelton, Locust Manor, Rosedale, and St. Albans stations in Queens.[57][60][61] Riders, under the pilot, would be able to purchase one-way, weekly, or monthly passes that will be valid on the LIRR, on buses, and the subway. The fare will be higher than the price of a ride on the MetroCard, but it will be lower than the combined price of an LIRR ticket and a MetroCard, and it will allow unlimited free transfers between the LIRR, buses, and subway.[61] The former head of the MTA, Thomas Prendergast, announced at the January 2017 board meeting that the plan would be explored in a field study to determine fares and the impact on existing service.[57] The plan is intended to fill approximately 20,000 unused seats of existing trains to Atlantic Terminal and Penn Station (or about 50% to 60% of peak trains in each direction),[60] while at the same time providing affordable service to people with long commutes.[61] The details were to be announced in spring 2017, and the pilot would last six months.[57]

The MTA Board voted to approve a six-month pilot for a similar concept, the Atlantic Ticket, in May 2018. The Atlantic Ticket is similar in that it would allow LIRR riders in southeast Queens to purchase a one-way ticket to or from Atlantic Terminal for $5. The Atlantic Ticket would start in June 2018.[62] The success of the pilot program has led the MTA to extend the program up to the summer of 2020 and renewed calls for the program to be implemented within New York City, where the fare for the Freedom Ticket—if approved—would cost US$2.75 and include free transfers between the LIRR & Metro-North, bus, and subway.[63]

OMNY
Main article: OMNY

In 2017, it was announced that the MetroCard fare payment system, used on New York City-area rapid transit and bus systems, would be phased out and replaced by OMNY, a contactless fare payment system. Fare payment would be made using Apple Pay, Google Pay, debit/credit cards with near-field communication enabled, or radio-frequency identification cards.[64][65] As part of the implementation of OMNY, the MTA also plans to use the system in the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad.[66]

Accidents and incidents

On August 26, 1893, two trains collided in Maspeth, Queens, killing 16 people and injuring over 40.[67]

On February 17, 1950, two trains collided head-on after an engineer on train 192 ignored an approach signal and the following red signals at Rockville Centre station, 32 died and more than 100 injured. At the time, it was the worst rail disaster in LIRR history.[68]

On November 22, 1950, two trains collided after one of the trains passed a red signal in Kew Gardens, 78 died, 363 injured making it the worst rail disaster in LIRR history.[69]

On March 14, 1982, a train hit a van at a level crossing on Herricks Road in Mineola after the driver of the van went around the gate. Nine people were killed and one was injured.[70]

On May 17, 2011 a commuter train in Deer Park obliterated a baked goods truck that attempted to drive around the crossing gate. The driver was killed and two passengers were injured.[71]

On October 8, 2016, a commuter LIRR train side-swiped a maintenance train east of New Hyde Park station. The commuter train cars suffered damage, 33 passengers were injured with 4 seriously.[72]

On January 4, 2017, a Long Island Rail Road commuter train derailed at Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn, New York. At least 103 people are injured.[73]

On February 26, 2019, two separate Long Island Rail Road trains hit a pickup truck at the School Street railroad crossing in Westbury, New York on the LIRR Main Line, causing the driver and two passengers to be ejected from the vehicle resulting in their deaths, numerous injuries, and damage to the nearby LIRR station platform.[74]

Train operations
Interior of an M7 car.

The LIRR is relatively isolated from the rest of the national rail system despite operating out of Penn Station, the nation's busiest rail terminal. It connects with other railroads in just two locations:

All LIRR trains have an engineer who operates the train, and a conductor who is responsible for the safe movement of the train, fare collection and on-board customer service. In addition, trains may have one or more assistant conductors to assist with fare collection and other duties. The LIRR is one of the last railroads in the United States to use mechanical interlocking control towers to regulate rail traffic.[78]

As of 2016, the LIRR has 8 active control towers. All movements on the LIRR are under the control of the Movement Bureau in Jamaica, which gives orders to the towers that control a specific portion of the railroad. Movements in Amtrak territory are controlled by Penn Station Control Center or PSCC, run jointly by the LIRR and Amtrak. The PSCC controls as far east as Harold Interlocking, in Sunnyside, Queens. The PSCC replaced several towers.[79] The Jamaica Control Center, operational since the third quarter of 2010, controls the area around Jamaica terminal by direct control of interlockings. This replaced several towers in Jamaica including Jay and Hall towers at the west and east ends of Jamaica station respectively. At additional locations, line side towers control the various switches and signals in accordance with the timetable and under the direction of the Movement Bureau in Jamaica.[80]

Signal and safety systems

Today's LIRR signal system has evolved from its legacy Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR)-based system, and the railroad utilizes a variety of wayside railroad signals including position light, color light and dwarf signals.[81] In addition, much of the LIRR is equipped with a bi-directional Pulse code cab signaling called automatic speed control (ASC), though portions of the railway still retain single direction, wayside-only signaling. Unlike other railroads, which began using color-light signals in the 20th century, the LIRR did not begin using signals with color lights on its above ground sections until 2006. Some portions of the railway lack automatic signals and cab signals completely, instead train and track car movements are governed only by timetable and verbal/written train orders, although these areas are gradually receiving modern signals.[82] Many other signals and switching systems on the LIRR are being modernized and upgraded as part of the Main Line's 3rd Track Project, most notably at Mineola, where the system is being completely redone and modernized.[83]

On portions of the railroad equipped with ASC, Engineers consult the speed display unit, which is capable of displaying 7 speed indications. They are 80,70,60,40,30,15 on electric trains while some diesel locomotives have slightly lower speed-steps when compared to the electrics. As a result of a December 1, 2013, train derailment in the Bronx on the Metro-North Railroad, railroads with similar cab signal systems to Metro-North, such as the LIRR, were ordered to modify the systems to enforce certain speed limit changes, which has resulted in lower average speeds and actual speed limits across the LIRR.[84]

Power transmission

The LIRR's electrified lines are powered via a third rail at 750 volts DC with the contact shoe running along the top of the rail, similar to on the New York City Subway and PATH systems.[85] This system is incompatible with Metro-North's third rail, which is under-running, though the M8 and M9 fleets are capable of using both types of third rails, as they are equipped with both types of contact shoes.

A Long Island Rail Road M9, showing the dual-type contact shoe.

Equipment
Main article: Long Island Rail Road rolling stock

Electric fleet

The LIRR's electric fleet consists of 836 M7 and 170 M3 electric multiple unit cars in married pairs, meaning each car needs the other one to operate, with each car containing its own engineer's cab. The trainsets typically range up to 12 cars long.

New M9 railcars at Penn Station.

In September 2013, MTA announced that the LIRR would procure new M9 railcars from Kawasaki.[86] A 2014 MTA forecast indicated that the LIRR would need 416 M9 railcars; 180 to replace the outdated M3 railcars and an additional 236 railcars for the additional passengers expected once the East Side Access project is complete.[87] The first M9s entered revenue service on September 11, 2019.[88]

Diesel & dual-mode fleets
C3 Bi-level coaches at grade crossing in Bethpage

The LIRR also uses 134 C3 Bilevel coaches powered by 24 DE30AC diesel-electric locomotives and 19 DM30AC dual-mode locomotives. They are used mostly on non-electrified territories, including the Port Jefferson, Oyster Bay, Montauk, Central, and Greenport Branches.[89]

Named trains

For most of its history LIRR has served commuters, but it had many named trains, some with all-first class seating, parlor cars, and full bar service. Few of them lasted past World War II, but some names were revived during the 1950s and 1960s as the railroad expanded its east end parlor car service with luxury coaches and Pullman cars from railroads that were discontinuing their passenger trains.

Current trains
  • Cannonball, a Friday-only 12-car train to Montauk running May through October, with two all-reserved parlor cars with full bar service. Since May 24, 2013, it has originated at Penn Station with a Sunday evening return from Montauk; only the westward train stops at Jamaica. The two rear cars ("Hamptons Reserve Service") have reserved seating and exclusive bar service.[90] The name is a nod to the Cannon Ball, the all-year train to Amagansett/Montauk from the 1890s until the 1970s. It carried parlor cars and standard-fare coaches and ran weekday afternoons from Long Island City, then from Penn Station until 1951, when DD1 operation, and changing engines at Jamaica, ceased.[91]
The logo used by the MTA for The Cannonball.

Former trains
  • Fisherman's Special (1932–1950s) from Long Island City to Canoe Place Station and Montauk via Jamaica, April through October, terminating at Canoe Place in April, extended to Montauk in May. Served Long Island fishing trade.[92]
  • Peconic Bay Express / Shinnecock Bay Express (1926–1950) from Long Island City to Greenport and Montauk, Saturday only, express to Greenport and Montauk. Discontinued during World War II though revived for a few seasons afterwards.[91]
  • Shelter Island Express (1901–1903, 1923–1942) from Long Island City to Greenport, Friday-only summer express that connected to Shelter Island ferries.
  • Sunrise Special (1922–1942) ran during the summer, NY Penn to Montauk on Fridays and westbound Mondays. In summer 1926 it ran daily. All parlor car (no coaches) from 1932 to 1937.[75][76][93][94][95]

Freight service
Main article: Rail freight transportation in New York City and Long Island
For more details on the franchisee that runs freight service for the LIRR, see New York and Atlantic Railway.

The LIRR and other railroads that became part of the system have always had freight service, though this has diminished. The process of shedding freight service accelerated with the acquisition of the railroad by New York State. In the 21st century, there has been some appreciation of the need for better railroad freight service in New York City and on Long Island.[96] Both areas are primarily served by trucking for freight haulage, an irony in a region with the most extensive rail transit service in the Americas, as well as the worst traffic conditions.[97] Proposals for a Cross-Harbor Rail Tunnel for freight have existed for years to alleviate these issues, and, in recent years, there have been many new pushes for its construction by officials.[96][98] However, financial issues, as well as bureaucracy, remain major hurdles in constructing it.[98]

A New York and Atlantic freight train at Jamaica station.

In May 1997, freight service was franchised on a 20-year term to the New York and Atlantic Railway (NYAR), a short line railroad owned by the Anacostia and Pacific Company.[99] It has its own equipment and crews, but uses the rail facilities of the LIRR. To the east, freight service operates to the end of the West Hempstead Branch, to Huntington on the Port Jefferson Branch, to Bridgehampton on the Montauk Branch, and to Riverhead on the Main Line. On the western end it provides service on the surviving freight-only tracks of the LIRR: the Bay Ridge and Bushwick branches; the "Lower Montauk" between Jamaica and Long Island City; and to an interchange connection at Fresh Pond Junction in Queens with the CSX, Canadian Pacific, and Providence and Worcester railroads.[100]

Freight branches

Some non-electrified lines are used only for freight:

Planned service expansions

East Side Access

The East Side Access project is building a LIRR spur to Grand Central Terminal that will run in part via the lower level of the existing 63rd Street Tunnel.[102] The East Side Access project will add a new eight-track terminal underneath the existing Grand Central Terminal.[102] The project was first proposed in the 1968 Program for Action, but due to various funding shortfalls, construction did not start until 2007.[103] As of April 2018, the project was expected to cost $11.1 billion and was tentatively scheduled to start service in December 2022.[104][105]

Five "readiness projects" are also under construction to increase peak-hour capacity across the LIRR system in preparation for expanded peak-hour service after the completion of East Side Access.[106][107][108] The LIRR is constructing a new platform for Atlantic Terminal-bound trains at Jamaica station,[109] in preparation for the conversion of the Atlantic Branch between these two stations into a high-frequency shuttle.[20] The LIRR is also installing storage tracks at the Massapequa and Great Neck stations,[108][110] as well as expanding the train yards at the Port Washington and Ronkonkoma stations.[108][111][112]

There are also plans to build a new station in the Queens neighborhood of Sunnyside, in between the New York terminals and the Woodside station, serving as a rail hub for all LIRR branches and potentially some Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains, as well.[113] The Sunnyside station is to be built after the completion of East Side Access, due to current capacity constraints.[113]

  • One of the lower level platforms under construction in Grand Central's future LIRR terminal
  • The new pocket track in Massapequa, located in between the two outer tracks, as viewed from a passing Babylon Branch train
  • Construction on Jamaica's new platform in August 2019

Main Line projects

In 2012, the LIRR started adding a second track along the formerly single-tracked section of the Main Line between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma stations to increase track capacity and allow for enhanced service options.[114] The project was completed in September 2018.[115][116]

The completed second track, as viewed from the reconstructed Wyandanch station.

As part of the preparations for East Side Access's opening,[117] the LIRR is also widening the two-track sections of the Main Line between Floral Park and Hicksville stations to three tracks, in addition to eliminating each of the grade crossings and rebuilding all of the stations along this stretch of the Main Line.[118][119] Work on the third-track project started in September 2018.[120][121] The project's completion was estimated for 2022, in time for the opening of East Side Access.[122][123][124]

A new station will be built between the Queens Village and Bellerose stations on the Main Line to better serve the future Belmont Park Arena in the Nassau County neighborhood of Elmont, being built as part of the Belmont Park Redevelopment Project.[125] It will be the first new station built by the LIRR in nearly 50 years; the last new station added was the former Southampton College station on the Montauk Branch, which opened in 1976 and closed in 1998, due to low ridership and the high cost of installing high-level platforms for the then-new C3 railcars.[126][127]

Electrification projects

As part of the 2020-2024 MTA Capital Program, the Central Branch of the LIRR will be electrified, to allow for enhanced service options and capacity, and to mitigate service disruptions, should one arise.[29]

As part of the MTA's 2020-2024 Capital Program, the Central Branch, shown here, will be electrified.

There have also been many pushes by residents and politicians over the past several decades - most recently by New York Senator Jim Gaughran - to electrify the remainder of the Port Jefferson Branch between the Huntington and Port Jefferson stations, in addition to the remainder of the Oyster Bay Branch between the East Williston and Oyster Bay stations to enhance service in the served areas and to upgrade service capacities along the lines; electrifying these lines could lead to direct service options to and from Manhattan, as diesel trains are not allowed in Penn Station and exceed the clearance for the future East Side Access tunnels.[128][129][130]

Law enforcement

The Long Island Rail Road Police Department, founded in 1868,[131] was absorbed along with the Metro-North Railroad Police Department to form the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department (MTA Police) in 1998.

Two officers for the MTA Police in Penn Station.

Criticism and controversy

Passenger issues

The LIRR has a long history of tense relations with its passengers.[132] Daily commuters have long had complaints about the LIRR's service. According to a 1999 article in The New York Times, the LIRR's service woes were long considered part of the "unholy trinity of life on Long Island," along with the Long Island Lighting Company's high rates and the Long Island Expressway's traffic snarls.[133] Various commuter advocacy groups have been formed to try to represent those interests, in addition to the state mandated LIRR Commuters Council.[134]

The LIRR has been criticized for not providing additional service to the East End of Long Island as the twin forks continue to grow in popularity as a year-round tourist and residential destination. Demand is evidenced by flourishing for-profit bus services such as the Hampton Jitney and the Hampton Luxury Liner and the early formative stages of a new East End Transportation Authority.[135] Local politicians have joined the public outcry for the LIRR to either improve the frequency of east end services, or turn the operation over to a local transportation authority.

Critics claim that the on-time performance (OTP) calculated by the LIRR is manipulated to be artificially high. Because the LIRR does not release any raw timing data nor does it have independent (non-MTA) audits it is impossible to verify this claim, or the accuracy of the current On Time Performance measurement. The percentage measure is used by many other US passenger railroads but the criticism over accuracy is specific to the LIRR. As defined by the LIRR, a train is "on time" if it arrives at a station within 5 minutes and 59 seconds of the scheduled time.[136] The criterion was 4 minutes and 59 seconds until the LIRR changed it because of a bug in their computer systems.[137] Critics[138] believe the OTP measure does not reflect what commuters experience on a daily basis. The LIRR publishes the current OTP in a monthly booklet called TrainTalk.[139] TrainTalk was previously known as "Keeping Track."[140] A more accurate way to measure delays and OTP has been proposed.[141] Called the "Passenger Hours Delayed" index it can measure total person-hours of a specific delay. This would be useful in comparing performance of specific days or incidents, day-to-day (or week-to-week) periods, but has not been adopted.

Ridership has increased from 81 million passengers in 2011 to 89.3 million passengers in 2016, which is the railroad's highest ridership since 1949. The all-time highest ridership was in 1929, when 119 million passengers rode 1.89 billion passenger miles.[142] This increase in ridership has been attributed to the increased usage of the LIRR by millennials, and the increase of reverse-peak travel.[143]

Pension and disability fraud scandal

A New York Times investigation in 2008 showed that 25% of LIRR employees who had retired since 2000 filed for disability payments from the federal Railroad Retirement Board and 97% of them were approved to receive disability pension. The total collected was more than $250,000,000 over eight years.[144] As a result, Railroad Retirement agents from Chicago inspected the Long Island office of the Railroad Retirement Board on September 23, 2008. New York Governor David Paterson issued a statement calling for Congress to conduct a full review of the board's mission and daily activities. Officials at the board's headquarters responded to the investigation stating that all occupational disability annuities were issued in accordance with applicable laws.[144]

On November 17, 2008, a former LIRR pension manager was arrested and charged with official misconduct for performing outside work without permission. However, these charges were all dismissed for "no merit" by Supreme Court Judge Kase on December 11, 2009 on the grounds that the prosecution had misled the grand jury in the indictment.[145]

A report produced in September 2009 by the Government Accountability Office stated that the rate at which retirees were rewarded disability claims was above the norm for the industry in general and indicated "troubling" practices that may indicate fraud, such as the use of a very small group of physicians in making diagnoses.[146]

Another series of arrests on October 27, 2011 included two doctors and a former union official.[147][148]

According to court documents, from 1998 through 2011, 79% of LIRR retirees obtained federal disability when they retired. On August 6, 2013, a doctor and two consultants were found guilty in connection with the accusations and sentenced to prison.[149][150][151]

See also

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. @LIRR (October 13, 2015). "The max allowable service speed for LIRR trains is 80 mph. But how fast are they DESIGNED to go? #TriviaTuesday" (Tweet). Retrieved July 2, 2018 – via Twitter.
  3. "Transit Ridership Report Fourth Quarter and End-of-Year 2016" (PDF). American Public Transportation Association (APTA). March 16, 2017. Archived from the original (pdf) on March 20, 2017. Retrieved March 20, 2017.
  4. "MTA - Transportation Network". mta.info. Archived from the original on June 3, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  5. "MTA - Transportation Network". mta.info. Archived from the original on June 3, 2019. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  6. "LIRR History". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  7. "MTA Long Island Rail Road". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  8. "Long Island Rail Road - General Information". Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Archived from the original on February 2, 2007. Retrieved March 23, 2014.
  9. "Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the Years Ended December 31, 2012 and 2011" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). June 21, 2013. p. 146. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 4, 2019. Retrieved August 29, 2014.
  10. Rivoli, Dan (February 13, 2018). "MTA Budget: Where does the money go?". NY Daily News. Archived from the original on November 3, 2018. Retrieved November 3, 2018.
  11. "MTA LIRR - A Reflection (1984)". mta.info. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  12. American Railway Association, (Division V - Mechanical) (1922). Wright, Roy V.; Winter, Charles (eds.). Locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practice (6th ed.). New York, NY: Simmons-Boardman Publishing. p. 903. OCLC 6201422.
  13. "State in Accord With the Pennsy on Buying L.I.R.R. – P.R.R. Agrees on Price of $65 Million With New Transportation Agency" (PDF). The New York Times. June 3, 1965. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  14. "Assembly Votes Commuter Board – Bill Creates Transportation Authority for City Area" (PDF). The New York Times. May 21, 1965. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved January 31, 2018.
  15. Penner, Larry (July 15, 2014). "Happy 51st Birthday To Queens Public Transportation". Queens Gazette. Archived from the original on September 12, 2015. Retrieved November 1, 2015.
  16. "M.T.A. Takes Over Transit Network – Moses Will Be Kept On as Consultant to Agency" (PDF). The New York Times. March 2, 1968. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 1, 2018.
  17. "East Side Access". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  18. U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Transportation Secretary Signs Record $2.6 Billion Agreement to Fund New Tunnel Network To Give Long Island Commuters Direct Access to Grand Central Station Archived January 3, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, December 18, 2006
  19. Second Avenue Sagas, East Side in-Access: A mid-project post mortem Archived April 7, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, January 29, 2014
  20. "$121 Million Initiative to Rebuild Hicksville Station Begins Construction; $64.9 Million Contract Award to Improve Jamaica Station". www.mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 21, 2016. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  21. "Airtrain JFK". mta.info. Archived from the original on February 26, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2013.
  22. MTA LIRR – Employment Opportunities Archived January 24, 2007, at the Wayback Machine (includes mailing address)
  23. "MTA LIRR - LIRR Map". web.mta.info. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  24. "ATLANTIC BRANCH". www.trainsarefun.com. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  25. "City Terminal Zone Timetable" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  26. Seyfried, Vincent F. (1975). "Part Six The Golden Age 1881-1900". The Long Island Rail Road: A Comprehensive History. Long Island: Vincent F. Seyfried. Archived from the original on April 19, 2015.
  27. Ron Ziel and George H. Foster, Steel Rails to the Sunrise, ©1965
  28. "MTA | news | MTA's Proposed 2015 Budget Includes Systemwide Service Enhancements". Mta.info (Press release). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. July 29, 2014. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  29. "LIRR: Powering up a link will improve response". Newsday. September 26, 2018. Archived from the original on September 26, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  30. Fazio, Alfred E (2008). The BMT A Technical and Operational History. pp. 28–31. ISBN 978-1-60702-864-2.
  31. "BETHPAGE BRANCH". www.arrts-arrchives.com. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
  32. "Camp Upton – Upton Junction, LIRR". trainsarefun.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  33. 1873 Flushing and North Side Railroad map
  34. "LIRR Northport Spur". lirrhistory.com. Archived from the original on September 30, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  35. "8.02 - Query by Location". dot.gov. Archived from the original on April 13, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  36. Page 252 Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  37. "Wading River Branch". arrts-arrchives.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  38. "white line". arrts-arrchives.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  39. Mets – Willets Point 2015 Mets Home Gang April 13 – May 15, 2015 Archived April 13, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  40. "LIRR to Double Service to New York Islanders Games Compared With Start of Last Season". Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  41. Belmont Park Timetable April 29, 2015 to May 17, 2015 Archived April 24, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  42. "MTA LIRR: Assembling the 2015 Ringling Brothers Circus Train to Depart LI". Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved April 9, 2015.
  43. "Penn Station". MTA LIRR. Archived from the original on March 23, 2015. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  44. "Brooklyn Bus Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. October 2020. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
    "Queens Bus Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 2019. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  45. "Maps and Schedules". Nassau Inter-County Express. Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  46. "Suffolk County Transit System Map" (PDF). Suffolk County Transit. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 6, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2019.
  47. LIRR Fare Zones Archived February 7, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  48. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 30, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  49. "MTA LIRR - Fares & Ticket Information". mta.info. Archived from the original on April 8, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  50. "MTA LIRR - Fares & Ticket Information". mta.info. Archived from the original on April 8, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  51. "MTA LIRR - New Fares - Effective March 19, 2017". web.mta.info. Archived from the original on March 8, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
  52. "MTA LIRR - Fares & Ticket Information". mta.info. Archived from the original on April 8, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  53. "MTA LIRR - Hamptons Reserve Service: The Best Route to the Hamptons!". MTA. November 6, 2015. Archived from the original on December 25, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2015.
  54. "MTA - CityTicket". mta.info. Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  55. Lisi, Clemente (July 15, 2003). "A Raily Cheap Ride – $2.50 Weekend Tix on LIRR, Metro-North". New York Post. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  56. "CityTicket Begins Tomorrow on LIRR And Metro-North" (Press release). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. January 9, 2004. Archived from the original on December 18, 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
  57. Barone, Vincent (February 8, 2017). "Freedom Ticket pilot launching in Brooklyn, Queens this fall, Borough President Adams says". am New York. Archived from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  58. Brashears, Bradley; Shannon, Ellyn; Bellisio, Angela (December 2015). "Freedom Ticket Southeast Queens Proof of Concept" (PDF). New York City Transit Riders Council. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 6, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  59. Harshbarger, Rebecca; Teirstein, Zoya (December 2, 2015). "Freedom Ticket' could slash many hours from subway and bus riders' commutes, fight overcrowding, advocates say". am New York. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  60. Walker, Ameena (February 9, 2017). "MTA will launch reduced fare pilot program for outer-borough commuters". Curbed NY. Archived from the original on February 10, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  61. "MTA Will Test 'Freedom Ticket' For Commuters In Brooklyn And Queens Transit Deserts". Gothamist. February 8, 2017. Archived from the original on February 10, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  62. Barone, Vin (May 23, 2018). "LIRR pilot to slash ticket prices in transit deserts". am New York. Archived from the original on May 24, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  63. Martinez, Jose (February 18, 2020). "SUCCESS OF LIRR BROOKLYN-QUEENS TIX RENEWS CALL FOR CITYWIDE $2.75 RAIL FARE". THE CITY. Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  64. Rivoli, Dan (October 23, 2017). "MTA approves plan to scrap MetroCards for 'tap' payment system". NY Daily News. Archived from the original on October 24, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  65. Barron, James (October 23, 2017). "New York to Replace MetroCard With Modern Way to Pay Transit Fares". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved October 24, 2017.
  66. "Say hello to tap and go, with OMNY". MTA. Archived from the original on February 24, 2019. Retrieved February 24, 2019.
  67. Spellen, Suzanne (October 30, 2013). "Queenswalk: The Berlinville Disaster, Part Two". Brownstoner. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
  68. "Rockville Centre tragedy: At least 30 dead, 80 injured in LIRR train crash in 1950". nydailynews.com. February 16, 2016. Archived from the original on June 7, 2019. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  69. "Past LIRR accidents through the years". Newsday. June 14, 2017. Archived from the original on September 18, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  70. "Lone Survivor Of 1982 Grade-Crossing Crash In Mineola Shocked People Still Drive Around Gates To Beat LIRR Trains". CBS New York – Breaking News, Sports, Weather, Traffic And The Best of NY. March 4, 2019. Archived from the original on December 30, 2019. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  71. "Driver killed as LIRR train, truck collide". Newsday. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  72. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 4, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2019.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  73. "Officials: More than 100 hurt in LIRR train derailment". Newsday. January 4, 2017. Archived from the original on September 12, 2019. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
  74. "3 Killed as 2 L.I.R.R. Trains Crash Into Car in Westbury". The New York Times. February 27, 2019. Archived from the original on February 16, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2019.
  75. "The Sunrise Special". arrts-arrchives.com. Archived from the original on July 17, 2014. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  76. "May 1927 Sunrise Special timetable (Arrt's Arrchives)". Archived from the original on October 4, 2012. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  77. "Lirr map archives". trainsarefun. Archived from the original on July 7, 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2015.
  78. "LIRR launches new switching system". Newsday. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  79. Sciarrino, Robert (December 26, 2013). "How to squeeze 1,200 trains a day into America's busiest transit hub". NJ.com. Star-Ledger. Archived from the original on April 26, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  80. Bedia, Leigh. "LIRR Jamaica Station Control Center." Railpace January 2011 : P. 10.
  81. "LIRR Signal History". www.trainsarefun.com. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  82. "LIRR East End gets signals from 21st century". Newsday. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  83. Construction, M. T. A.; Development (February 20, 2020). "New Interlocking on LIRR Expansion Project Will Help Reduce Train Cancellations & Delays". A Modern LI. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  84. "Operational and signal modifications for compliance with maximum authorized passenger train speeds and other speed restrictions". fra.dot.gov. U.S. Federal Railroad Administration. Archived from the original on May 31, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  85. "MTA LIRR - TrainTalk - March 2012". mta.info. Archived from the original on April 12, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  86. "MTA - news - New Railcars for LIRR & Metro-North Fleets". mta.info. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014.
  87. "Capital Program Oversight Committee Meeting: July 2014" (PDF). MTA. July 28, 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 24, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  88. "MTA | Press Release | LIRR | LIRR to Introduce New Fleet of Rail Cars Tomorrow". www.mta.info. Archived from the original on September 14, 2019. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  89. "MTA Long Island Rail Road Committee Meeting March 2018" (PDF). mta.info. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
  90. "LIRR to Operate First Non-Stop Service from Manhattan to Hamptons". MTA Long Island Rail Road. Archived from the original on April 23, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  91. "The LIRR Extra List". trainsarefun.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  92. "LIRR Fisherman's Special (Arrt's Arrchives)". Arrts-arrchives.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  93. "Passenger car with "Sunrise Special" Drumhead (Arrt's Arrchives)". Archived from the original on December 20, 2013. Retrieved August 12, 2014.
  94. LIRR Named Passenger Trains (Pennsylvania Technical and Historical Society) Archived October 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  95. "Parlor Car Service between Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia and The Hamptons and Montauk (Unofficial LIRR Website)". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 25, 2014.
  96. Plan, The Fourth Regional (August 13, 2020). "The Fourth Regional Plan". The Fourth Regional Plan. Regional Plan Association. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  97. Ascher, Kate (2005). The Works: Anatomy of a City. Penguin Press. ISBN 1594200718.
  98. Metro. "Another 30-year wait for completion of the Cross-Harbor Freight Tunnel?". Metro US. Retrieved August 13, 2020.
  99. Steinberg, Carol (January 31, 1999). "Bygone Era's Revival: Hauling Goods by Rail". New York Times. Archived from the original on August 31, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
  100. "Cross Harbor Freight Program: CHFP Tier 1 EIS Document". panynj.gov. Archived from the original on July 2, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  101. "At first this video might make you want to leave New York. But the end will make you want to stay forever". MoveNY. April 25, 2015. Archived from the original on June 30, 2016. Retrieved July 5, 2016.
  102. Project overview Archived September 8, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, MTA, Accessed June 7, 2018
  103. Neuman, William (May 11, 2007). "Awaiting Rock-Eating Beast, L.I.R.R. Tunnel Is Poised to Finish Trip to Grand Central". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  104. Siff, Andrew (April 16, 2018). "MTA Megaproject to Cost Almost $1B More Than Prior Estimate". NBC New York. Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  105. Castillo, Alfonso A. (April 15, 2018). "East Side Access price tag now stands at $11.2B". Newsday. Archived from the original on April 15, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  106. Anuta, Joe; Newman, Philip (June 5, 2013). "Queens Tomorrow: LIRR headed to Grand Central". TimesLedger. TimesLedger Newspapers. Archived from the original on May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  107. "MTA Capital Program Oversight Meeting" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. January 2013. p. 8. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 25, 2017. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  108. "MTA Long Island Rail Road Committee Meeting" (PDF). mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. November 2017. p. 35. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  109. Kulick, Beth (2014). "Jamaica Interlocking Reconfiguration Operations Simulation" (PDF). apta.com. TranSystems Corporation. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 5, 2016. Retrieved February 5, 2018.
  110. Wendy Karpel Kreitzman (November 19, 2010). "MTA Announces Second Pocket Track Proposed for LIRR in Great Neck". Great Neck Record. Archived from the original on December 9, 2010. Retrieved May 24, 2018.
  111. "L60601YL Port Washington Yard Reconfiguration". web.mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on September 3, 2017. Retrieved September 3, 2017.
  112. "Mid-Suffolk Yard Schedule". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  113. "Queens Officials Renew Call For Sunnyside LIRR Station". Queens, NY Patch. February 12, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  114. "Double Track' Information Center Opens Today at Ronkonkoma Station as Part of LIRR Public Outreach". mta.info. January 16, 2013. Archived from the original on April 14, 2015. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  115. "news - LIRR Opens Ronkonkoma Branch Double Track". MTA. September 21, 2018. Archived from the original on September 22, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  116. "LIRR Double Track project completed ahead of schedule". ABC7 New York. September 21, 2018. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved September 22, 2018.
  117. "Main Line Corridor Improvements Project Presentation" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 25, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  118. Fitzsimmons, Emma G. (January 5, 2016). "Cuomo Revives Long-Stalled Plan to Add Track to L.I.R.R." The New York Times. p. A18. Archived from the original on January 7, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2016.
  119. "LIRR Main Line Expansion Will Ease Commuting and Attract Businesses and Jobs" (Press release). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. January 5, 2016. Archived from the original on January 19, 2016. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  120. "LIRR Third Track Project Moving Forward Despite Concerns Of Residents". CBS New York. September 5, 2018. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  121. Rivoli, Dan (September 5, 2018). "Cuomo continues infrastructure tour with Long Island Rail Road groundbreaking". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on September 6, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  122. Berger, Paul (December 13, 2017). "MTA Awards $1.8 Billion Contract to Expand Long Island Rail Road". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  123. Castillo, Alfonso A. (December 13, 2017). "MTA approves $1.9B contract to design, build LIRR 3rd track". Newsday. Archived from the original on January 26, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  124. Klar, Rebecca (December 20, 2017). "MTA approves $1.8B contract for third track project". The Island Now. Archived from the original on January 26, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  125. "New Elmont Station". A Modern LI. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  126. Construction, M. T. A.; Development (May 22, 2020). "Construction of First New LIRR Station in a Half Century to Start at Elmont". A Modern LI. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  127. Sengupta, Somini (March 15, 1998). "End of the Line for L.I.R.R.'s 10 Loneliest Stops". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  128. "LIRR to develop plans for electrifying Port Jefferson and central branches". NY State Senate. May 29, 2019. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  129. "Sen. Gaughran pushing for more trains for LIRR commuters". Herald Community Newspapers. Retrieved July 19, 2020.
  130. "East Side Access Draft Environmental Impact Statement" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
  131. "L.I.R.R. Police Dept". arrts-arrchives.com. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved June 5, 2011.
  132. Maloney, Jennifer; Schuster, Karla (January 19, 2007). "The Gap What We Found, Thirty Years of Neglect". Newsday.
  133. Halbfinger, David M. (July 30, 1999). "The Long Island Rail Road: Busiest, but Far From Best". New York Times. Archived from the original on August 31, 2010. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
  134. "LIRRCC Mission Statement & Goals « The Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee (PCAC) to the MTA ( NY, NY)". PCAC. Archived from the original on August 13, 2014. Retrieved August 11, 2014.
  135. "eastendshuttle.org". eastendshuttle.org. Archived from the original on May 27, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  136. LIRR, – LIRR OTP Archived November 28, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  137. "– LIRR On Time Performance questions". Lirrcommuters.org. Archived from the original on August 7, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  138. "– LIRR Commuters Campaign". Lirrcommuters.org. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  139. "MTA LIRR - TrainTalk - March 2015". Mta.info. Archived from the original on April 10, 2015. Retrieved April 7, 2015.
  140. Kluger, Barry L. (December 2007). "The Long Island Rail Road's Lost Property Process MTA/OIG Report #2007-22" (PDF). OIG. MTA Inspector General State of New York. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
  141. "– New OTP Proposal". Lirrcommuters.org. Archived from the original on August 7, 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2013.
  142. "LIRR, AirTrain, Tri-Rail Note Higher Annual or Daily Passenger Counts". Progressive Railroading. February 8, 2008. Archived from the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
  143. "LIRR and Metro-North Railroad Break Ridership Records". mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. January 23, 2017. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  144. Bogdanich, Walt; Wilson, Duff (September 23, 2008). "Agents Raid Office in L.I.R.R. Disability Inquiry". New York Times. Archived from the original on December 19, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
  145. Castillo, Alfonso A. (December 11, 2009). "Judge dismisses most charges against LIRR official". Newsday. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2011.
  146. Railroad Retirement Board: Review of Commuter Railroad Occupational Disability Claims Archived October 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine retrieved October 17, 2009
  147. NBC New York, 2011 Oct 27 Archived June 28, 2013, at the Wayback Machine 11 charged in Massive LIRR Disability Pension Scandal
  148. "Manhattan U.S. Attorney Announces Pension Disability Fraud Charges Against 11 Defendants Associated with the Long Island Rail Road That Could Cost $1 Billion". FBI – New York Field Office. October 27, 2011. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  149. "Doctor And Two Consultants Found Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court In LIRR Disability Fraud Scheme". DOJ – Southern District of New York. August 6, 2013. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
  150. "Disability Doctor Peter J. Lesniewski Sentenced in Manhattan Federal Court to Eight Years in Prison for His Role in Long Island Rail Road Fraud Scheme". FBI – New York Field Office. February 21, 2014. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
  151. "Disability Doctor Peter J. Ajemian Pleads Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court for His Role in Long Island Rail Road Fraud Scheme". FBI – New York Field Office. January 18, 2013. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2016.

KML is not from Wikidata
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.