R train service between Manhattan, Brooklyn to be restored by Friday morning

Christmas has come early for R train riders, as service between Manhattan and Brooklyn will be restored in time for the Friday morning rush.

The Montague Tunnel, through which the train runs between the boroughs, has been closed since Superstorm Sandy flooded it with some 27 million gallons of water.

"The return of the full length R route is an enormous achievement that will take some of the pressure off of the 65,000 commuters who use this line every day," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday.

The tunnel was knocked out of service after salt water flooded it from floor to ceiling, leaving the tracks, signals and electrical components under water for days, the MTA said.

This restoration leaves only two sections of the subway system down from Sandy: the A train between Howard Beach and the Rockaways, and the 1 train south of the Rector Street station.