LIRR - Grand Central Link On Track

[railtrailbiker]

The city is accepting bids from contractors to build a one-mile tunnel that will connect the Long Island Railroad to Grand Central Station.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority began calling for bids yesterday, with a contract to be awarded in August. Digging is set to begin next year.

http://1010wins.com/topstories/winstops ... 71749.html

[Mr rt]

The East Side Access boondoggle continues.
Everyone who uses the a MTA facility will have to pay for this, i.e.
bridges, M-N, LIRR, TA

[NIMBYkiller]

IDK, I think this is one of the smart projects. It'll make public transportation more convenient, which attracts more riders.

[Nasadowsk]

And it's useless to anyone east of Huntington, Ronkonkoma, Babylon, or north of East Williston, because the DE/DMs can't fit in the tunnel, and the C cars can't either.

Whoops.

Well, they thought in the 60's/70's that the LIRR wouldn't have been stupid enough to replace the old diesel fleet with a new one....

[bluebelly]

And it's useless to anyone east of Huntington, Ronkonkoma, Babylon, or north of East Williston, because the DE/DMs can't fit in the tunnel, and the C cars can't either.

Whoops.

Well, they thought in the 60's/70's that the LIRR wouldn't have been stupid enough to replace the old diesel fleet with a new one....

Diesels can't go to Flatbush Ave. Does that mean that it is useless to passengers traveling from diesel served areas? Of course not, they change at Jamaica, People going to Grand Central from diesel served areas will have to do the same (or change at the future Sunnyside station) what is the big deal? It is still going to save passengers traveling to the eastside of manhatten about 30 min a day.

If the RR was smart enough to keep the old diesel fleet, passengers traveling to GCT would still have to change trains. I don't understand your point.

[N340SG]

Ironically, the Sunnyside Station looks like it will be West of the cutoffs to GCT. Check out these links:

http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/capconstr/esas ... 2000-1.pdf

Look at the page (2) with the track and station alignment.

Also check:

http://www.congress.gov/cgi-bin/cpquery ... OC_488699&

Scroll down to the LIRR ESA project description, where it states that the Sunnyside Station will be for LIC development, and not as a link to GCT.

Don't shoot the messenger...I know it's inane, but this is the way it appears it's going to be. I've seen it described this way in several places.

[krispy]

East Side Access is essential to the LIRR, for the simple reason if there is going to be anymore growth, then they need another western terminal. There is NO more slots into Penn, NADA, ZERO, ZILCH. That is it, they are saturated. Obviously, Flatbush is at its peak as well. With ESA they can put more trains into Manhattan, and then they can look at opening up the timetable and creating more flyers from out east to give some relief to the long suffering Pt. Jeff/Huntington and KO commuters. Add the third Mainline track Queens to Hicksville and it will change the way the railroad runs trains completely.

They had also initially looked at a couple of different ways of doing the station in Queens - At first it was going to be east of Harold and was to be called "Metropolitan" or Metropolitan <something>, but there were objections from the locals and they wanted it moved farther west. They're still considered adding island platforms at Woodside or toying with the idea of rebuilding Win Interlocking, but that is down the road, and they're just trying to get ESA built which is going to be tough enough.

[NIMBYkiller]

I think once ESA and the 3rd tracks are complete, LIRR really needs to redesign its service.

Have most of the electric service run to GCT and FBA, and have it mostly DM at NYP. Have a few new services. The Port Jeff and Montauk lines could really be revamped. 3 levels of service for the PJ. Maybe something electric from Huntington making every stop to FBA. From PJ, express making all stops to Huntington, Syoseet, Hicksville, Mineola, Floral Park, Jamaica, Sunnyside, NYP......and a superexpress PJ-Stony Brook-Smithtown-Huntington-Hicksville-Mineola-Jamaica-Sunnyside-NYP

The Montauk line could start service on the main line. Maybe something from PD making all stops to Babylon, re-open south Farmingdale, then on to Hicksville, Mineola, Jamaica, Sunnyside, NYP. From Montauk, have 2 levels of service, express and super express.

Montauk-Southampton-Westhampton-PD-Bay Shore-Babylon-Freeport-Jamaica-NYP

All stops to PD, Bay Shore, Babylon, then 1/2 running Hicksville, Mineola, Jamaica, NYP, and the other 1/2 running Freeport, Jamaica, NYP


Boost Greenport service. Have them run all stops to KO, Brentwood, Wyandanch, some Farmingdale, Hicksville, Mineola, Jamaica, some Sunnyside, NYP

Maybe express service running Greenport-Riverhead-Yaphank-KO-Hicksville-Mineola-Jamaica-NYP

From KO, run all stops to Hicksville, Mineola, Floral Park Jamaica, and then half to GCT stopping at Woodside, and half to FBA making all stops.

Babylon should probably stay mostly NYP service. Have express and local. Express running Babylon-Amityville-Massapequa-Freeport-Rockville Centre-Lynbrook-Valley Stream-Jamaica-Sunnyside-NYP
The locals could run all stops to Valley Stream, then Jamaica, Sunnyside, NYP.

The 3 lower nassau lines(WH, LB, and Far Rock) could be split into 1/3rds. 1/3rd of the trains to GCT, 1/3rd to NYP, and 1/3rd to FBA. At no time should 2 trains from any of those 3 lines be going to the same destination. Probably run these lines at 20 min intervals peak, 1hr off peak weekdays, and 40 min weekends. Have express and local. Locals would make all stops to the destination. Express would run to Jamaica, and then on NYP trains, they'd stop at Sunnyside and NYP, and on GCT trains, they'd stop at Woodside. Also, express trains would run non-stop from Valley Stream to Jamaica(meaning Locust Manor, Laurelton, and St Albans are local only).

Hempstead line.........uhhhhh. Maybe have it run 1/2 NYP, 1/2 Hunterspoint. Maybe have them make all stops to NYP and Hunterspoint.

PW line can run 1/2 NYP, 1/2 GCT. NYP express makes stops at Flushing and Sunnyside, and GCT express makes stops at Flushing and MAYBE Woodside.

OB line, boost service and run half to NYP and half to LIC. Half the LIC via lower montauk(re-open all stops), and half the LIC via Hunterspoint.