Limited transit service returns to New York, New Jersey

New York-area public transit riders now have free access to limited service on Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North, and New York City Transit lines. New Jersey Transit has opened one light rail line linking Camden and Trenton, N.J.

Hurricane Sandy devastates NY/NJ-area passenger rail systems

Hurricane Sandy, the worst storm of its type to hit the New York-New Jersey metropolitan area in generations, had a devastating impact upon the region’s passenger rail systems, the busiest in the nation.

LIRR eyes expanding waiting room hours

The Long Island Rail Road Wednesday was set to unveil a pilot program to expand waiting room hours at 41 of its stations throughout the system, in order to enhance customer service.

MTA restores or enhances service offerings

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority Thursday said it would add or extend regional rail, subway, and bus services, most of which had been curtailed or discontinued due to earlier budget crises.

MTA juggles ESA work, LIRR rush-hour schedule

MTA Long Island Rail Road will discontinue three evening rush-hour trains, and adjust the schedule of others, beginning July 9 in order to facilitate ongoing East Side Access (ESA) construction in Long Island City, Queens, N.Y. (Sunnyside Yard).

Cost up—again—for East Side Access

Long Island Rail Road access to Grand Central Terminal now has been pushed back to 2019, six years beyond its original target date, while the cost of East Side Access has risen once more, to $8.24 billion, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority acknowledged Monday.

New York Penn Station expansion set to proceed

A Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PA) executive on Tuesday said a contract for the first phase of expanding New York’s Pennsylvania Station, targeted to cost $270 million, would be awarded Wednesday.

MTA East Side Access deadline slips again

Confirming what many have suspected, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chairman Joseph Lhota on Tuesday acknowledged that the agency’s East Side Access Project likely would not be completed until 2019, due to unexpected construction difficulties.

LIRR East End DMU plan now funded

MTA Long Island Rail Road long has had plans to provide diesel multiple-unit (DMU) service to its riders on both the North Fork and South Fork of the railroad’s namesake territory. Those plans now have capital funding identified.

ARINC Inc. awarded LIRR control center contract

Annapolis, Md.-based ARINC Inc. will design and produce a supervisory control system and communications systems for the Long Island Rail Road’s Harold Interlocking Complex in Long Island City, N.Y.  Harold is among the busiest such complexes in the U.S., handling LIRR, New Jersey Transit, and Amtrak train movements as well as some freight activity.