LIRR president praises Amtrak repair job

The president of the Long Island Rail Road Monday applauded Amtrak for doing "a very good job" in the first weekend of an ongoing project to repair the East River tunnels' drainage problems that have impacted LIRR service.

In a Manhattan meeting of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's commuter railroad committee, LIRR president Helena Williams said Amtrak has already cleared all the drains in the four tunnels, which connect the LIRR from Queens into Penn Station. The tunnels are owned and maintained by Amtrak, but primarily used by the LIRR.

Railroad officials have said poor drainage in the tunnels may have contributed to several recent track problems, including a May 8 Amtrak derailment that caused four days of major disruptions on the LIRR.

Last week, Amtrak announced plans to address the problems. It said it would closely inspect tracks within the four tunnels, make sure drains are functioning properly, and replace damaged wooden ties and the stone ballast that supports the tracks.

Williams said Amtrak finished its short-term repairs this past weekend in the tunnel used most by the LIRR. Amtrak replaced 162 feet of rail, 100 wooden ties and dirty ballast inside "Line 1," which carries 189 LIRR trains each day. "Their response has been very good, very aggressive," she said of Amtrak.

Still, some MTA board members questioned Amtrak's motivation for doing the work. The agency proposed the repairs, which will include an eventual replacement of all track infrastructure in the tunnels, after urgent calls from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), MTA chairman Jay Walder and state lawmakers.

Board member Patrick Foye, who represents Nassau, said both agencies need to take a closer look at their working agreement, which dictates that Amtrak maintains the tunnels, even though the LIRR pays most of the maintenance costs.

SEE PHOTOSLIRR trains and commuters through the years