LIRR Mainline Third Track Project

[adamj023]

All these parts are super important and should have been done earlier. Every part of this project makes a huge improvement when implemented for vehicles and trains and pedestrians alike. Progress is a good thing.

[Dump The Air]

what towers are still open? nassau, bablyon, queens, lead?

crazy to think that theres that many, i think paoli and zoo on the harrisburg line are still open?

here in the twin cities there isn't even a shell of a tower left and there was a lot of them at one time.

[Backshophoss]

Nassau,Babylon Queens,and Lead still live as does Divide in Hicksville.
Babylon controls the CTC to Montauk for now
Nassau controls a bunch of Mainline Crossovers and on the Oyster Bay Branch as well.

[MattAmity90]

what towers are still open? nassau, bablyon, queens, lead?

crazy to think that theres that many, i think paoli and zoo on the harrisburg line are still open?

here in the twin cities there isn't even a shell of a tower left and there was a lot of them at one time.

Don't forget Valley is still open. Valley and Babylon control all the interlockings on the Babylon, West Hempstead, and Far Rockaway Branches. Divide controls all the interlockings on the Ronkonkoma Branch, and as far as I know all the interlockings not just at Huntington but on the ENTIRE Port Jefferson Branch.

[freightguy]

Today was the official kick off of the third track project, with officials posing for the cameras near Urban Ave in Westbury! I have a feeling this section will be way more intense vs the Suffolk double track. Let the games begin...

[MNCRR9000]

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced on September 5, 2018, that the Long Island Rail Road is breaking ground on the historic Third Track. The $2.6 billion expansion effort includes 50 projects to modernize 9.8 miles along the congested Main Line of the LIRR between Floral Park and Hicksville. Those projects include adding a third track, eliminating all seven street-level grade crossings within the project corridor, adding new power substations and parking, and modernizing track and signal infrastructure. Forty percent of LIRR riders pass through the Main Line.

"Since the 1940s, people talked about adding a third track and modernizing the Main Line corridor - and now we're actually doing it," Governor Cuomo said. "These projects taken together will create smoother and more reliable service for LIRR passengers while at the same time improving public safety by eliminating dangerous grade crossings. The LIRR is the backbone of the region's economy and this expansion effort will boost growth for generations."

Benefits of the project will include smoother and more reliable commutes, safer and quieter crossings, improvements to stations and parking facilities, reduced noise along the project corridor as well as less congestion and cleaner air.

Project elements along the Main Line corridor include:

9.8 miles of a new third track;
7 grade crossing eliminations, including Covert Avenue, South 12th Street, New Hyde Park Road, Main Street, Willis Avenue, Urban Avenue and School Street;
7 bridge replacements and modifications, including South Tyson Avenue Bridge, Plainfield Avenue Bridge, Tanners Pond Road/Denton Avenue Bridge, Glen Cove Road Bridge, Meadowbrook Parkway Bridge, and Cherry Lane Bridge;
5 station improvements, including New Hyde Park Station, Merillon Avenue Station, Mineola Station, Carle Place Station, and Westbury Station; in addition to ADA-compliant elevators at Floral Park Station;
7 substation replacements, including Floral Park Substation, New Hyde Park Substation, Merillon Avenue Substation, Mineola Substation, Carle Place Substation, Westbury Substation, and New Cassel Substation;
7.5 miles of sound/retaining walls; and
Additional improvements throughout the project corridor.
At the Governor's direction and after 70 years of stagnation, the state, MTA, local officials and Long Island communities are moving forward on this $2.6 billion project. The transformative new plan differs significantly from past proposals. The plan takes no residential properties, eliminates the seven street-level grade crossings, and widens or increases the height of seven bridges across the line to prevent bridge strikes.

As part of the transformative project, the state is also undertaking a comprehensive noise abatement program - replacing all tracks and building the new Third Track with advanced dampening technology. The project also includes sound-reducing walls along nearly six miles of residential neighborhoods along the mainline, and features architectural treatments to complement the surrounding environments.

The LIRR will also replace power infrastructure throughout the system with seven new traction power substations to improve reliability and increase capacity enough to power three LIRR trains traveling simultaneously. In addition, to increase safety, the system will add positive train control to prevent operator error.

To ensure community input throughout the entirety of the project, the LIRR has entered into memoranda of understanding with the communities on the Main Line Third Track. The MOUs invite input on project design, including aesthetic design of certain project elements such as sound walls, consideration for traffic and parking, utilities, drainage, pest and dust control, transit-oriented development, construction schedule and duration and community safety and quality of life.

http://www.mta.info/news/2018/09/06/gov ... hird-track" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[scopelliti]

Maybe I missed it.. how will the grade crossings be eliminated? Bridges or underpasses? I assume they are not elevating all the tracks. Particularly interested in my old hangout at Nassau Tower just east of Mineola station.

[mkm4]

Maybe I missed it.. how will the grade crossings be eliminated? Bridges or underpasses?

http://www.amodernli.com/project/thirdtrack/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Scroll down to FAQs and Documents

[Head-end View]

Most if not all of the crossings will be underpasses like Roslyn Rd. in Mineola. Originally the Main St. crossing was also proposed for a very narrow one-lane underpass, but recent local rumor is that Main St. is going to be dead ended on both sides of the tracks. Also I'm told there is a local effort to move and preserve Nassau Tower at a different location.

[scopelliti]

Makes sense to dead end Main Street. Trying to tunnel under essentially four tracks and not impact service would be a major undertaking. Glad to hear about the effort to preserve Nassau Tower.

[MNCRR9000]

After reading the Technical Provisions on the Modern LI website it sounds like all Queens interlockings, Bellrose, new and existing Hempstead, Nassau 1, 2, 3,4 and Locust will be controlled from the Jamaica Control Center (JCC).
http://www.amodernli.com/wp-content/upl ... dacted.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[MNCRR9000]

To the east of the Carl Place station looks like they have started clearing vegetation from the right of way.

[workextra]

Does anyone here have a diagram or rendering of what will be done in Mineola?

Will the existing south platform to No2 track be removed In it’s entirety or will it be rebuilt into an island with the new main to the south of the existing platform?

In a configuration like this [P] _ _ [P] _ [P] (ideal configuration for Mineola)
Or
Will it be done like this [P] _ _ _ [P] the way the local stations will be configured?

*
[PLarform]
_ (track)

[andrewjw]

The current plan is [P] _ _ _ [P]

[Head-end View]

I think the LIRR will come to regret it, if they don't provide platform access for the center track.