LIRR Expects to Restore Full Service for Friday Morning Rush

The Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) Long Island Rail Road is planning to operate a normal morning rush hour schedule on Friday, April 7, pending Amtrak’s successful completion of track repairs following this week's derailment of a NJ Transit train at Penn Station. The service restoration is also contingent on Amtrak’s promise to allow overnight access to tracks throughout the Penn Station area in order to ensure LIRR can pre-position trains and crews needed to run a full schedule.

 

“The LIRR is working around-the-clock to prepare and pre-position trains for the morning rush hour and to perform all required safety tests in order to restore full service as quickly as possible,” said LIRR President Patrick Nowakowski.

Amtrak has said it plans to fully return tracks to LIRR by 4 a.m.

LIRR normally operates 144 westbound morning rush hour trains, 98 of which are destined for Penn Station. In recent mornings, the LIRR has been required to cancel 10 morning rush-hour trains, terminate three at Jamaica and divert one to Hunterspoint Avenue, for a total of 14 trains directly affected by the continuing Amtrak track work — approximately 10 percent of LIRR’s morning service.

In the event Amtrak's overnight track work takes longer than currently anticipated and train cancelations are required, the LIRR will publish real-time information across all information streams.