Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that work is beginning on the Long Island Rail Road’s third track project.
It’s part of a $2.6 billion expansion plans that will modernize nearly 10 miles between Floral Park and Hicksville. Cuomo says the upgrades are needed because the population has increased, leading to overcrowding and “near paralysis” on the LIRR.
“We have the same problem over and over again. These systems are antiquated, you have switches that are decades old, you have a power substation that is 40 years old,” Cuomo said.
The governor said there are 89 million commuter trips over 700 miles of track every year, but the rail road has been stagnant for over 70 years. He said the third track will help alleviate some of the overcrowding.
“There are only two tracks, it's very busy, it's congested. Any issue becomes a major delay. You have a problem in that area, it backs up everything, cascading delays,” Cuomo said.
The governor claimed the third track would actually reduce noise in the area. He said that’s because of noise abatement and new technology that results in the trains making less noise.
“Learn the lesson of the past, be smart, do it right, but be bold. The future belongs to the bold. We need to make progress, we need to make progress now, and we are,” Cuomo said.
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