Smoother transfers at Jamaica station and procuring new, modern trains to improve service on the Long Island Rail Road are key priorities for LIRR president Robert Free, who as of Thursday afternoon has dropped “acting” from his title and took over railroad operations.
Since the launch of full service at Grand Central Madison, and a recent expansion of City Ticket discounts to encourage the use of commuter rail within the boroughs, Jamaica station in southeast Queens has become an increasingly important regional transfer point for riders to get around the city, Free said in an interview. To reflect that, Free said he’s prioritizing schedule adjustments for more seamless connections, an issue that was a pain point during the initial launch of Grand Central Madison service in early 2023.
“I don’t mean adding time to the overall running of the train, that’s not the answer,” said Free, who became acting LIRR president in October; he began his career with the agency as a station cleaner more than 30 years ago. “Maybe we have too much time on one end of the trip and we need to switch it to a particular location so it allows for a better flow in Jamaica, things like that we are looking at.”
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is working with consultant Network Rail to dissect data from Jamaica station, which features eight tracks, 93 switches and 140 signals, to better sync trains and reduce transfer confusion with improved communications, according to Free. He added that procuring new trains to retire older models and accommodate more riders is also key.
Such changes are expected to make it easier to travel into Grand Central Madison, which has enabled Long Islanders to flock to Midtown East more now than in the past several years. When service debuted at the station, transit officials estimated it would divert 45% of LIRR commuters from Penn Station to the new Grand Central stop. Initially that figure was closer to 30%, but Free said it has since consistently exceeded 40% of riders diverting to Grand Central Madison.
Despite the uptick, Free said a boost to Grand Central Madison service currently isn’t in the cards. “I think we have the right mix of service,” he said. Although Free and MTA Chair and Chief Executive Janno Lieber said they will continue to monitor traffic patterns and are open to adding and adjusting service where needed.
“Our commuters tell us how to adjust service over time,” Lieber said in an interview. “If people are voting with their feet about where they want to go, we will make adjustments, but right now we are happy with how it stands.”
Caroline Spivack , 2024-04-11 21:02:10
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