MTA calls for tunnel cleanup

The chairman of the MTA urged his counterpart at Amtrak to take "critical remedial measures" to clear drains and mop up pools in the East River tunnels that the two systems share, even offering to assume the job of maintaining the passageways if Amtrak can't.

In a letter dated May 13, Metropolitan Transportation Authority chairman Jay Walder asked Amtrak chairman and chief executive Joseph H. Boardman to fix clogged drains in the tunnels. MTA officials believe the water contributed to a May 8 Amtrak train derailment and an April 18 LIRR train delay that disrupted Long Islanders' commutes on the first night of Passover.

"The Amtrak derailment is only the most recent in a series of incidents that have raised fundamental concerns about safety and reliable operations within the East River Tunnels," read the letter Walder wrote after he and LIRR president Helena Williams inspected the tunnel where an Amtrak train jumped the rails and scraped a wall.

Amtrak owns the tunnels and the LIRR pays for repairs and maintenance.

Williams requested a tour of the tunnel after the May 8 derailment and she, Walder and LIRR Chief Engineer Robert Puciloski found large pools of water and clogged drains that Walder said could have compromised the integrity of the infrastructure -- and threatened riders' safety. The derailment caused commuter delays for several days.

Walder's offer to take over maintenance of the tunnels comes after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and state Sen. Charles Fuschillo (R-Merrick) recently floated the idea. Last month, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) called for the LIRR and Amtrak to work together on maintenance.

Walder recommended an immediate clearing of the drains, a comprehensive analysis to determine the extent of water corrosion in the infrastructure, and an agreement to work toward a long-term solution that could include using a third-party drainage expert.

SEE PHOTOSLIRR trains and commuters through the years

A spokesman for Amtrak, Cliff Cole, said Amtrak received the letter Monday and was reviewing it.

But LIRR board member Mitchell Pally, who represents Suffolk, said he hopes the LIRR takes over the tunnels' maintenance, adding that several incidents this year make the case for an adjustment in the contract with Amtrak.

"It is time to change the nature of our relationship with Amtrak," he said. "We should no longer be at the whim and call of a federal agency when we have people who have tremendous experience. We should be the masters of our own destiny and take responsibility for this."

In addition to the May 8 and April 18 mishaps, Walder's note listed incidents including a broken rail discovered in a tunnel on April 6, another broken rail in another tunnel found on March 17 and a broken rail discovered in a third tunnel on March 4.

With Alfonso A. Castillo