Amtrak: LIRR tracks on hiatus from Penn work until March 23
An LIRR train rolls east along Track 18 as it enters Penn Station on Nov. 13, 2017. Credit: Craig Ruttle
The Long Island Rail Road will be able to operate on all its usual tracks at Penn Station over the next few weeks, until Amtrak begins the final stages of its current infrastructure renewal project at the busy commuter hub, a key Amtrak official said Thursday.
Scot Naparstek, chief operating officer for Amtrak, which owns Penn Station, confirmed Thursday that all of Penn’s 21 tracks are currently available, after the completed reconstruction of Track 15 last week. Amtrak expects to begin a two-month effort to rebuild Track 18 beginning March 23.
Until then, none of Penn’s tracks will be out of service for a prolonged period.
Shorter track outages on weekends are possible as Amtrak replaces a complex assortment of track switches just east of Penn known as “C Interlocking.” That work will begin Friday night.
The latest phase of Amtrak’s repairs at Penn, which began in January, has necessitated a slight reduction in LIRR rush-hour service. Although the LIRR temporarily has all its tracks back, it is not expected to adjust its schedule until Amtrak’s work at the station is complete. Amtrak has said it will finish the project by May 28.
Still, Naparstek said there are some benefits in having all of Penn’s tracks back in service for the time being.
“Certainly with having Track 15 back in service, and not having taken out Track 18, it gives us more flexibility if anything should occur,” Naparstek said.
Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.
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