Amtrak completes first phase of East River tunnel project amid LIRR disruptions
The new tunnel. All images courtesy of Amtrak
A 15-month rehabilitation of one of two East River tunnels is complete. Amtrak on Monday announced the completion of phase one of the project, which began last year to repair two of the four tunnels damaged during Hurricane Sandy in 2012 that carry trains in and out of Penn Station and are also used by the LIRR and NJ Transit. The agency shut down one tunnel at a time despite MTA calls for a rush-hour service approach, which officials said curtailed LIRR service by forcing too many trains to share the remaining tunnels.
Owned by Amtrak, the four tunnels first opened in 1910. Among the busiest passenger rail tunnels in the Western Hemisphere, they carry 450 daily Amtrak, LIRR, and NJ Transit trains. Two of the tunnels required significant repairs after floodwaters entered the passageways during Hurricane Sandy, according to Amtrak.
During the last year, work crews demolished, removed, and replaced much of the deteriorated infrastructure and installed new bench walls designed to enhance safety, maintenance access, and performance. More than 24,000 feet of rail, 8,000 tons of ballast, 8,000 wooden rail ties, and 20,000 cubic yards of bench wall concrete were removed and replaced.
The new Line 2 tunnel features brighter lighting to improve visibility for train operators, as well as a larger drainage system to more efficiently remove water.
When the project was first announced, the MTA suggested Amtrak implement a “repair in place” approach, scheduling work for nights and weekends while maintaining service during rush hours to minimize commute disruptions.
However, the agency opted to completely shut down one tunnel at a time, forcing the three rail agencies to share the remaining three tunnels. MTA officials’ concerns were realized in May, when a track fire temporarily shut down two of the remaining tunnels, leaving the three rail agencies to share a single tunnel.
A month earlier, an LIRR train traveling through one of the tunnels was disabled after hitting debris, further worsening delays as workers inspected the tracks, according to Gothamist.
During Monday’s press conference at Penn Station, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber called the project an “important milestone” while criticizing Amtrak for what he said was its impact on LIRR riders.
“This project forced the Long Island Rail Road to reduce its peak hour service into Penn by 20 percent,” Lieber said. “That’s a lot of trains, and it meant customers experienced a lot more crowding into Penn.”
“Given that impact and the risk to the customers of things going wrong in three remaining operational tunnels, we did insist that Amtrak take additional precautions,” he added.
Amtrak said the tunnel reconstruction could not have proceeded without fully suspending service. Earlier this year, Amtrak Vice President of Infrastructure Project Delivery Warren LeBeau told Gothamist that the MTA’s suggested approach would have “taken years to complete,” with “significantly more impact to riders.”
The agency also said it is “committed to minimizing passenger impacts,” adding that investments in infrastructure hardening, combined with mitigation measures, helped limit service delays during the outage.
“This milestone reflects the progress Amtrak is making to rebuild critical infrastructure while maintaining service for the millions of customers who rely on the Northeast Corridor every year,” Amtrak Interim President Byl Herrmann said.
“Reopening Line 2 of the East River Tunnel restores a vital transportation link and positions it to serve rail passengers for another 100 years,” he added.
Phase two of the $1.6 billion project, which will shut down the second tunnel, Line 1, will begin this fall and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. Amtrak officials said the project will remain within budget.
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