The end of the line for the NYA???

Hello all,
I am an LIRR electrician working at the Morris Park shops. I have been hearing some noise and some of it coming from LIRR higher ups , that they are looking to take back the freight operations. I believe the 10 year lease that the NYA has with the LIRR is up this year, so it might not be a pie in the sky rumor.
However, I have heard these grumblings in the past and nothing happened. Maybe some others in the know here might know more info.
Thanks
Mike S. LIRR Electrician-Morris Park Shops

lirrelectrician wrote:Hello all,
I am an LIRR electrician working at the Morris Park shops. I have been hearing some noise and some of it coming from LIRR higher ups , that they are looking to take back the freight operations. I believe the 10 year lease that the NYA has with the LIRR is up this year, so it might not be a pie in the sky rumor.
However, I have heard these grumblings in the past and nothing happened. Maybe some others in the know here might know more info.

Well, is it 10 or 20 years first of all:

"Long Island gained a new 263-mile railroad Monday, May 12 [1997], when New York & Atlantic Railway Co. (NYA) train No. 100 pulled out of Fresh Pond, N.Y. at 5 a.m., traveling down the Montauk branch of the Long Island Rail Road.
No. 100 was the first of six trains that will be operated each weekday over the NYA, which took over the Long Island's freight operations May 11 under a 20-year concession from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, owner of the LIRR."

This is from a NY&A press release on a fan-page, so this is not necessarily definitive.

i doubt passenger railroads want to do anything with freight.. they would like to get rid of freight off their railroad.. but with the push of freight service in NYC area.. i dont see NYA going anywhere

Believe it or not, SEPTA does some freight operations in their system noticing pictures found from the other day. LIRR used to do their freight until they found that it was losing profit, and turned to NYA to do it. Now more freight is operating here, and I can't see why NYA would go, however again LIRR did both passenger, and freight, so it would be no surprise if LIRR does their freight operations again. Only question is they would use their former engines, besides the possibility of acquiring more engines because the MP15AC engines used is for both work trains, and protect engines besides hauling bad order equipment.

You mean LIRR killed freight service, then turned it over.

The "re-absorption" rumor has been flying around for a while. Spoke to alot of LIRR crews on various points on the railroad. They all seem to think they will hold freight jobs soon, and we (NYA labor) will be passenger jockeys. If NYA lost the concession, the crews would know way before anyboby.
NYA is still expanding, with several heavy-haul moves planed to start in 2 to 3 years. I doubt NYA would make a effort to land the MSW contracts, just to hand it over to LIRR. IMHO it is not going to happen.

The LIRR "re-takeover" of the freight has been an urban legend amongst the rank and file at LIRR since the takeover 10 years ago. It's not going to happen.

For clarity, the lease agreement is a 20 year lease, with Anacostia & Pacific having an option to lease it for 10 more.

Jay

Also, wasn't there a "union" issue involved in the decision to get out of freight? I remember something about the LIRR being able to react differently if unions went on strike. Something about only being a local carrier with just the passenger business (subject to one set of laws) versus being an interstate operation subject to another set of rules with the freight biz. If true, I doubt the LIRR would go back into the freight business, to say nothing about the agreement with NY&A that is still in place that would prevent it, unless of course NY&A was willing to terminate the agreement.

Now that would be cool to see some NS power on L.I. NS might have some MP-15s and GP-38-2s for sale. Lets see what happens this is very interesting.

How the hell did you come to the conclusion that there will be NS power on the island? Maybe you can fill me in.

Some believed the real motivation for the MTA to divest itself of freight was to place union employees under the Taylor Law, preventing them from striking (or at least penalizing them severely for striking). It was reasoned that if they eliminated Interstate Commerce, it could happen.

Unfortunately for those that thought that would be the case, it didn't happen because Interstate Commerce is still moved over the LIRR, just by a different carrier. LIRR still has to stay open to move it.

Jay