The East River Tunnel shutdown is going to mess up your LIRR commute—here's what to know
Your LIRR commute just got a lot more complicated. As of Friday, May 23, Amtrak officially began a three-year, $1.6 billion rehabilitation of the East River Tunnel, a project that has already set the stage for delays, congestion and general commuter chaos.
The work involves a full closure of two of the four century-old tubes beneath the East River, which serve as critical infrastructure for Amtrak, NJ Transit and the Long Island Rail Road. And while Amtrak insists the full gut renovation is necessary to fix lingering damage from Superstorm Sandy, LIRR officials and Governor Kathy Hochul argued for a less disruptive approach.
For months, state leaders pushed for a 'repair-in-place' plan, similar to the L train fix, which would have kept daytime schedules intact. But Amtrak held firm, citing safety concerns and the need to fully replace power, signal, track and fire-safety systems to meet modern standards. They maintain that patchwork repairs aren't feasible in a high-speed, high-voltage environment like this.
Line 2 was taken completely out of service Friday night and will remain offline for 13 months. After that, Line 1 will shut down for another extended stretch. During this time, Amtrak and NJ Transit will prioritize the two remaining tubes, forcing the LIRR to share limited tunnel space and warning of possible schedule disruptions for its 125,000 daily riders.
LIRR leadership previously called a full shutdown 'catastrophic,' as reported by the New York Daily News. Amtrak has promised to minimize the pain with extra inspections, more crews and emergency locomotives on standby. Still, the fallout is already being felt.
'With the onset of the spring and summer travel seasons, it's imperative that New Yorkers have convenient and reliable passenger rail service to help them get where they want and need to go,' said New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez. 'We want to continue to work with Amtrak to find a way to do this work without inflicting unnecessary burdens on New Yorkers.'
Despite the outcry, the project is underway—and your commute may never look the same until 2028. So if your train feels more packed or your schedule is off this week, now you know why. Brace for delays, grab a good book and maybe leave a few minutes earlier—just in case.
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Time Out
5 days ago
- Time Out
The East River Tunnel shutdown is going to mess up your LIRR commute—here's what to know
Your LIRR commute just got a lot more complicated. As of Friday, May 23, Amtrak officially began a three-year, $1.6 billion rehabilitation of the East River Tunnel, a project that has already set the stage for delays, congestion and general commuter chaos. The work involves a full closure of two of the four century-old tubes beneath the East River, which serve as critical infrastructure for Amtrak, NJ Transit and the Long Island Rail Road. And while Amtrak insists the full gut renovation is necessary to fix lingering damage from Superstorm Sandy, LIRR officials and Governor Kathy Hochul argued for a less disruptive approach. For months, state leaders pushed for a 'repair-in-place' plan, similar to the L train fix, which would have kept daytime schedules intact. But Amtrak held firm, citing safety concerns and the need to fully replace power, signal, track and fire-safety systems to meet modern standards. They maintain that patchwork repairs aren't feasible in a high-speed, high-voltage environment like this. Line 2 was taken completely out of service Friday night and will remain offline for 13 months. After that, Line 1 will shut down for another extended stretch. During this time, Amtrak and NJ Transit will prioritize the two remaining tubes, forcing the LIRR to share limited tunnel space and warning of possible schedule disruptions for its 125,000 daily riders. LIRR leadership previously called a full shutdown 'catastrophic,' as reported by the New York Daily News. Amtrak has promised to minimize the pain with extra inspections, more crews and emergency locomotives on standby. Still, the fallout is already being felt. 'With the onset of the spring and summer travel seasons, it's imperative that New Yorkers have convenient and reliable passenger rail service to help them get where they want and need to go,' said New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez. 'We want to continue to work with Amtrak to find a way to do this work without inflicting unnecessary burdens on New Yorkers.' Despite the outcry, the project is underway—and your commute may never look the same until 2028. So if your train feels more packed or your schedule is off this week, now you know why. Brace for delays, grab a good book and maybe leave a few minutes earlier—just in case.
The Independent
23-05-2025
- The Independent
With 160mph trains launching on the East Coast - is America finally on track for a high-speed rail network?
The European Union has 5,316 miles of high-speed rail, China's network exceeds 31,000 miles, while America has a high-speed line mileage of zero. But the high-speed rail revolution may well be underway in the U.S., with some in the industry quietly optimistic that one day the country will have a comprehensive network of high-speed trains. Work has begun on Brightline West, a line costing $12 billion that will run from Las Vegas to an outer suburb of Los Angeles. When it launches in December 2028, it will be the first-ever 186mph train in the States. And California is building a $128 billion, 220mph line that will take passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in under three hours when it begins operations sometime between 2031 and 2033. Rick Harnish, the Executive Director of the High Speed Rail Alliance, stresses to The Independent that there is "no doubt" that Brightline West will be a catalyst for other high-speed projects, the definition of "high speed" generally acknowledged as above 150mph. Rick also points to the imminent launch of Amtrak's 160mph Acela trains as a crucial step in the right direction for high-speed rail in America. These trains, due to debut in the next few weeks, will serve the Northeast Corridor, from Washington, D.C. to Boston via New York. Rick explains that because "it's an old corridor that has slowly been rebuilt, there are different speeds in different places". He continues: "Mostly it's 110mph. But there is one short section near Princeton in New Jersey where they can get to 150mph and a short [150mph] section in Connecticut. "The Northeast Corridor has gotten the most significant funding for passenger rail for decades. We would call that regional rail, but it's important." Features on the new Acela trains include onboard café cars, Wi-Fi, in-seat USB ports and plug sockets, winged headrests that Amtrak says "provide more comfort and separation", and seat covers made out of recycled leather. Plus, there's an interactive reservation system that will allow passengers to change their seats using the Amtrak app. As swish as the new Acela trains will be, Rick believes that it's the high-speed projects on dedicated lines that will help "change the way people travel across the country". One major obstacle is that traveling by road or air is embedded from the top down in America. A cultural and political shift will be needed for a high-speed rail network to flourish. Rick says, "The federal government has forced us to focus on moving cars fast, not on building communities that are healthy, productive, and enjoyable places to live." In a blog post, the High Speed Rail Alliance blames "perverse incentive structures and feedback loops" for America's rail system lagging behind Europe and China's. It said: "The industries that profit from building more congested highways and airports fund political campaigns and think tanks devoted to lobbying legislatures for more highways and airports. "Naturally, policymakers are responsive to the people who fund their campaigns and rationalize their policy priorities." A case in point, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently described a proposed high-speed line between Houston and Dallas as a "waste of taxpayers' money". New York-based author Will Doig — who wrote High-Speed Empire, Chinese Expansion, and the Future of Southeast Asia — agrees with the High Speed Rail Alliance, telling The Independent that "political will and government funding are the prime suspects" behind high-speed rail inertia. But he name-checks other factors, too. He continues: "There are other reasons American infrastructure has stalled. For instance, environmental impact assessments have ironically become a tool that any group can use to delay or kill a project they don't like, even if that project would ultimately have a net-benefit for the environment." Does he think Americans can ever be fully converted to rail travel? Will replies: "We know that people will take the train if the infrastructure makes it worth it. We know this because they already do: train travel is commonplace in the Northeast, where rail is often the fastest and most convenient option. "But in most other parts of the U.S, rail is a third-rate option, plagued by delays and slow trains. "Asking Americans to choose that option over flying or driving is unrealistic. "We shouldn't be asking whether Americans will ever convert to train travel, we should be asking whether America will ever provide railways worth converting to. When things work well, people use them."
Time Out
21-05-2025
- Time Out
Airbnb just named this surprising NY town one of the world's best food destinations
Summer's slowly setting in, which means it's about time for New Yorkers to plan exactly how they will escape the humid hustle and bustle of the city for the Hamptons, Fire Island, the Hudson Valley and other parts of greater New York State. And good news if you're planning on heading up to the Catskills this season: Airbnb just cited Oneonta, New York as of the country's leading food destinations for summer 2025. In a recently released report, the home rental website dug deep on 2025 summer travel trends and discovered some interesting tidbits along the way Travelers are reportedly "avoiding the summer crowds and swapping culinary capitals for more local, affordable foodie destinations," per the study (based on Airbnb internal data of trending searches travelers made in Q1 – Q4 2024 for summer 2025 compared with searches made in Q1-Q4 2023 for summer 2024). Oneonta's boost as a top-rate food town seems to be part of that trend: the "hidden gem in the Catskills" is home to "a variety of breweries alongside a diverse array of dining options, with a focus on farm-to-table ingredients," reads the report. (For the record, we're partial to Dazzo's Kitchen for great wood-fired grub and Council Rock Brewery in nearby Cooperstown for solid local suds.) And the New York locale is in good company—Airbnb also singled out Arakawa City, Japan, as "a quieter alternative to bustling Shibuya"; Shillong, India, "for its unique local delicacies and traditional Khasi cuisine"; Alassio, Italy, "a similar coastal retreat to Positano, with a vibrant culinary scene centered around its fresh local seafood"; and Belo Horizonte, Brazil, famous for its flavorful Minas Gerais dishes, like the beloved pão de dueijo (cheese bread). Airbnb cited a recent consumer poll conducted by Panterra that revealed that nearly half (47-percent) of travelers are prioritizing authentic local cuisine during their travels, so the focus on destinations with unique food-and-drink experiences makes sense.
