The MTA invested $11.6 billion in direct costs for the construction of the Long Island Rail Road East Side Access to Grand Central Madison. Part of the scope of work involved upgrading the Harold Interlocking and signals west of the Woodside Station.
This cost over $1 billion. (These capital assets were previously updated in 1991 at a cost of over $100 million.)
The most recent work included upgrading and expansion of the signal system to accommodate new LIRR service to Grand Central Madison. How disappointing that less than one year later, there was another round of signal problems west of the Woodside Station.
This resulted in service delays on Saturday night, Dec. 30. There was no service in or out of either Grand Central Madison or Penn Station for one hour around 10 p.m.. This represents the most recent in a series of failures on the part of the LIRR to maintain consistent safe and reliable service 24/7 on the Port Washington, Oyster Bay, Main Line and all 11 branches.
Once again, the LIRR left coal in the stockings of commuters this holiday season. So much for any decent on-time performance. Our New Year’s resolution is for new LIRR President Robert Free to do better in 2024.
Larry Penner
Great Neck
Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who
previously served as a former Director for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 Office of Operations and Program Management.
