Leaky ceiling, detoured trains on second day of Grand Central Madison full service

In its second day of full service, the brand new Long Island Rail Road terminal in Manhattan dealt with signal troubles, leaky ceilings, and crowded trains that infuriated scores of commuters.

In just the third rush hour since the LIRR adopted its new schedules, several trains originally bound for Grand Central Madison were instead detoured to Penn Station because of what the railroad called “a signal problem” in the new terminal.

The LIRR cautioned Grand Central commuters to “expect delays and consider alternate service options” and consider using Penn Station or Atlantic Terminal. Shortly before noon, the railroad said full service had been restored, although delays lingered. Metropolitan Transportation Authority David Steckel said crews made temporary fixes to the track problem, which he did not explain, and that permanent repairs would be made overnight.

Port Washington commuter Tom Lomino said, after a prolonged delay on his way into Grand Central, that when he finally arrived, he was greeted by workers tending to a “significant leak” raining down from the ceiling on the mezzanine level.

Oh my God. I can’t believe, on day two, we get stuck in the tunnel for 20 minutes, and then walk into this. 

Tom Lomino, Port Washington

“Everybody was like, ‘Oh my God. I can’t believe, on day two, we get stuck in the tunnel for 20 minutes, and then walk into this,’” said Lomino, 42.

Steckel said it was not a leak, but rather that the water raining down on the station mezzanine came from trains on the upper track level, and that crews were evaluating how to address the problem to prevent it in the future.

On Tuesday afternoon, a garbage can and a mop bucket were still set up on the marble floors of the pristine new station to catch the drips.

“In general, the station is beautiful. It’s clean. Yesterday, everything seemed to work fine,” said Lomino, who works in advertising. “I kind of expected this to happen. It’s funny it happened on day two. I was hoping it would have lasted a week or two before it [messed] up.”

Commuters traveling to stations other than Grand Central were less forgiving about the early glitches in the railroad’s new service plan. Several LIRR regulars have complained since Monday about crowding conditions they attributed to the railroad removing several trains from its schedule, and operating trains with fewer cars than usual.

Ronkonkoma commuter Billy Seibert said that combination led to passengers “standing in the aisle” during his trip home from Penn Station on Monday.

On Monday, railroad spokesman Aaron Donovan said train lengths are set based on “schedule and ridership demands.” The LIRR has acknowledged needing more trains for its new service to Grand Central, and that its car shortage has been worsened by delays in the arrival of its newest fleet.

“It was a disaster,” said Seibert, 52, a foreman for an electrician’s union. “When you’re bringing it on yourself by deleting trains and then making the trains shorter, you’re setting yourself up to fail. Who’s thinking that this is a good idea?”

The railroad also dealt with systemwide delays of 15-20 minutes during the morning peak period because of a train with equipment trouble in Cold Spring Harbor. Steckel said the railroad has personnel deployed at stations to help assist riders, and that, despite the issues in the morning rush, Tuesday's commute went more smoothly than on Monday.

The overhaul in the LIRR’s service plan follows the completion of the $11.1 billion East Side Access megaproject. While many railroad regulars remain rankled about their upended commutes, others continue to celebrate the opening of the LIRR’s first new Manhattan station in more than a century.

Long Beach commuter Margarita Tamarit said she had “zero complaints” about her new commute to Grand Central, which she gave a “10 out of 10.”

“It’s an option that we didn’t have for so many years, and I’m so grateful that we have that option,” said Tamarit, 49. “You’re never going to make everyone happy. Somebody will always find something to complain about.”

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.