New York officials demand Amtrak repair East River tunnels without full shutdown
Amtrak's East River Tunnel project is facing pushback from other transit officials and New York elected leaders.
The rail company says it must repair the tunnels damaged during Superstorm Sandy, and the only way to do it is by closing multiple tunnels.
MTA, governor propose overnight, weekend work
The three-year project means two of the four tunnels guiding trains in and out of Penn Station from the east will be closed off.
Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free says that's a problem.
"With the limited infrastructure that we'll have, we'll be forced to still maintain service into one tunnel," he said.
Fewer tracks mean fewer outlets for trains to flow in and out of Penn Station.
During Wednesday's April MTA board meeting, we learned Gov. Kathy Hochul, the Nassau County executive, the MTA and some members of Congress have already sent "stern letters" to Amtrak demanding that the company find other methods to complete construction without a full shutdown of the specified tunnels.
The MTA and governor are suggesting doing the work overnight and on weekends when there are fewer trains operating.
"I don't know why we can't have the same kind of bipartisan support out of Washington to demand what New York needs," MTA board member Neal Zuckerman said.
Amtrak still plans to begin work May 9
Amtrak, however, is now fighting back, saying the MTA, NJ Transit and the governor were well aware of this project years ago and that the finalized construction plan shouldn't come as a shock.
A new statement from Amtrak reads, in part, "Major construction work will still begin on May 9, after MTA delayed the work for more than seven months due to their lateness in completing work for their eastbound re-route project. We have been actively working with MTA to mitigate the impact of this delay."
But really, it's the riders, now tied up in a multi-rail agency beef, who will suffer the most.
The MTA continues to tout the success of Grand Central Madison, saying it essentially serves as another option for LIRR trains. But it may not work for everyone, especially the 60% of LIRR riders who rely on Penn Station specifically.
