Demands grow for quicker return to previous LIRR schedule

Three weeks is too long a wait to restore scaled-back LIRR service, said railroad riders, labor leaders and elected officials, who worry that prolonging the crowding conditions on trains during the pandemic is a health risk.

Just one day after enacting a "right-sized" schedule that reduced weekday service to near-weekend levels, Long Island Rail Road president Phillip Eng, responding to overwhelming complaints from the public, on Tuesday announced the railroad was nixing the plan, and would restore its previous schedule.

But the rollback won’t happen until March 29, meaning that some riders will have to endure less space on trains, longer waits, and extended trip times until then.

LIRR officials said that much time was needed to have everything in place for the increased service, including figuring out new assignments and schedules for about 360 LIRR employees affected by the changes. Railroad officials said it’s a process that typically takes months — as it did for the reduced service plan that took effect Monday.

Anthony Simon, who heads the railroad’s largest union, said labor leaders will "do whatever it takes to restore service as soon as possible."

"Our union officials are working around the clock, weekends and all. We need management to step up and get this done," said Simon, general chairman of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers, which represents thousands of LIRR conductors, car cleaners, track workers and other laborers.

In an interview Wednesday, Eng said he appreciated the support of labor partners, which he said is the reason they set the "aggressive" target of restoring service within three weeks.

"It’s not an overnight flip of a switch," said Eng, who defended the decision to scale back service, as well as his decision to restore it Tuesday shortly after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo publicly urged him to do so.

"The need to address the customers’ concerns was important … We just felt that it was more important to make customers feel at ease," Eng said.

With ridership down to less than 25% of pre-pandemic levels, the LIRR last month announced the plan to scale back weekday service — freeing up capacity to accelerate infrastructure modernization work and saving about $15 million in operating costs.

The LIRR had already cut service by about 20%. The new cuts brought it to about 75% of pre-pandemic levels. But the cuts meant big changes in the morning and evening rush hours, when the railroad carries most of its riders. With fewer trains running, riders flooded social media with images of trains packed with passengers — some standing inches apart.

Eric Johnson, of Sea Cliff, said Wednesday that he "can’t imagine" putting up with his new commute until March 29.

"None of it makes sense to me," said Johnson, who has been riding the LIRR for 27 years. He believes a week is plenty of time to put service back together. "Monday morning would make sense to me."

But LIRR officials, who initially planned for the reduced schedule to be in place until May 23 at the earliest, said other obstacles are in the way of a faster restoration, including preparing more than 100 train sets and adjusting several track projects that were to be carried out during the reduced schedule. Among them is an effort already underway on the Port Washington line to replace miles of tracks.

Sen. James Gaughran (D-Northport), who advised against the reduced schedule before it was enacted, said that in lieu of a full restoration, the LIRR should ramp up service as much as it can in the coming days.

"I get that they can’t do instantly," Gaughran said, "but three weeks just sounds like that’s no way to run a railroad."

The LIRR has already added some trains and made other adjustments, and will continue to do so, said Eng. He noted that no morning train on Wednesday carried more than about 40% of its pre-pandemic ridership — about the same as before the new schedule took effect.

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.