MTA defends Long Beach LIRR work at season peak

Long Beach officials have asked the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to restore an express train that is temporarily out of service because of excavation work.

The work, which is taking place on the Queens side of the East River tunnels, has canceled an outbound evening rush hour express train on the Long Island Rail Road’s Long Beach branch.

Long Beach needs the express train to feed its seasonal economy, said city council president Len Torres in a statement issued Monday.

“Service to Long Beach should never be cut in the summer,” the Torres statement said. “Why shouldn’t we have as many express trains as other communities? Summer work should be done where summer ridership decreases, not where it increases.”

MTA spokesman Salvatore Arena defended the work. Schedule changes are unavoidable during construction, he said.

Arena said the train would likely be restored next week.