MTA Reverses Long Island Rail Road Service Cuts

LONG ISLAND, NY — After a barrage of complaints from riders about packed Manhattan-bound trains, the Metropolitan Transit Authority agreed Tuesday to restore service to the Long Island Rail Road’s previous timetable, although there is a caveat.

LIRR President Phil Eng said customers' concerns about the new train schedule were heard “loud and clear” and, as a result, the agency will restore its previous timetable on March 29. Until then, officials will continue to “strategically add” more trains and lengthen trains to meet evolving ridership levels, he said.

Officials will continue to review seating availability with “unprecedented clarity, thanks to new technology.”

“As declining COVID-19 cases and increased deployment of the vaccine allow New York to fully reopen, customers should expect to see more riders returning to trains every day, and we look forward to it,” he said.

State Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Rockville Centre), whose office collected photos of the overcrowded conditions on trains, said the MTA’s decision to restore normal service by the month’s end will provide Long Island commuters with “the sane, safe and dignified commutes they deserve.”

“This victory for riders happened because we worked together to make our voices heard,” said Kaminsky, a member of the Senate’s transportation committee. “I will continue to fight for LIRR riders and hold the MTA accountable — our region’s recovery demands a high level of confidence in our public transit system, and with that confidence now shaken, the time to improve the railroad’s quality is now.”

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said she made it clear to the MTA that the cuts “were unacceptable.”

"Reducing train service as our economy reopens makes no sense, as the LIRR must accommodate for social distancing as more residents get back to work,” she said. “I will continue to push the MTA as necessary to ensure Nassau residents have the safe, reliable commute they deserve.”