Long Island Rail Road to get huge financial boost to upgrade system

Written by RT&S Staff
MTA
MTA announces signal modernization and track improvements.
MTA New York City Transit

You heard of someone in serious debt? What about someone in serious investment? The latter is what the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York City is all about, as the agency announced it was going to spend a deep $51 billion over the next five years on improvements. This includes $5.7 billion for the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to bring switches and signal systems up to speed. MTA also will be buying 160 train cars.

The 2020-24 Capital Plan is being called the largest in MTA’s history, and Chairman Patrick Foye says the plan will “finally modernize and transform subways.”

The LIRR will use $364 million on signal and communication upgrades—32 percent of all track switches will be replaced and 21 percent of track circuits, signals and interlockings will be upgraded.

The spending is expected to put the “state of good repair” tag on 90 percent of LIRR track assets. The LIRR also will be receiving 160 new M9A train cars, as well as 20 new diesel coach cars and 10 new diesel locomotives. The plan is to electrify the LIRR’s Central Branch.

LIRR currently is involved in two big projects, the East Side Access link to Grand Central Terminal and the Third Track between Floral Park and Hicksville project. The Capital Plan will feed those two with more funding.

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