How would service stop? An 'orderly shutdown'
In the event of a union strike, riders can expect an “orderly shutdown” of LIRR service similar to what they saw ahead of February’s historic blizzard, one key MTA official said.
John McCarthy, chief of policy and external relations for the MTA, said Tuesday that railroad management would work with labor leaders to wind down service Friday evening, with the goal of having all trains stored in yards ahead of the Saturday 12:01 a.m. strike deadline.
At some point Friday, the MTA would begin advising customers, including through the TrainTime app, about the last departures on each branch before trains stop running altogether.
McCarthy compared a potential winding down of LIRR service to what riders experienced during the Feb. 22 winter storm, when the railroad temporarily suspended service for more than 24 hours.
“Ahead of the storm, we told people when the last train was gonna be at different destinations, and there's an expectation they would get that kind of information,” McCarthy said. “This is about making people aware, so they’re not caught off guard.”
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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