Did the MTA and LIRR forget to consider obtaining a necessary clearance from the Federal Railroad Administration prior to the latest recover schedule, which called for East Side Access to Grand Central Madison to begin by December 2022?
The Federal Transit Administration Full Funding Grant Agreement approved in 2006 required service to begin in 2011 at a total project cost of $6.3 billion with a federal share of $2.6 billion. The current cost today is $11.6 billion. This does not include debt service payments for the cost of borrowing, which brings the cost to $12.7 billion. Debt service costs are buried under a separate agency operating budget. There is also over $4 billion more for indirect costs for what is known as LIRR readiness projects to support ESA service to Grand Central Madison. Any honest accounting would bring the real total project cost to $16.7 billion.
A mandatory FRA safety feature that would prevent trains from entering the wrong tunnel clearly fell behind schedule. It is now forecast to be installed, up and running by March 6, 2023. Why was the original implementation schedule for installation of this safety equipment not completed earlier this year? This new FRA safety requirement was implemented as a result of the Metro North accident on the Hudson Line at Spuyten Duyvil in 2013.
The MTA now has to request a waiver from FRA to begin service in December 2022 without this safety feature being in place. This provides little comfort for riders who are looking for safe and reliable service to Grand Central Madison Terminal.
Larry Penner
Great Neck
Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously worked for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office.
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