QUEENS, N.Y. — The first segment of the Long Island Rail Road’s Third Track project, a $2.6 billion effort to add 9.8 miles of third main on the heavily used route between Floral Park and Hicksville, is slated to open for the morning commuter rush today (Monday, Aug. 15).
Newsday reports the 4-mile stretch between the stations at Queens Village and Merillon Avenue in Garden City is slated to open today, with the next section, 2 miles east to Carle Place, scheduled to open Aug. 29. Construction began in September 2018; the LIRR’s parent, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, says the project won’t reach “substantial completion” until April because of remaining work including landscaping and improvements at some stations.
MTA CEO Janno Lieber calls the opening of the third track “a transformational moment,” and says the project will allow the LIRR to increase service by about 40% by the end of this year. Along with the 9.8 miles of third main, other elements of the project have included improvements at six stations, rebuilding of seven interlockings, replacement or modification of seven bridges, and elimination of eight grade crossings. More details on element of the project are available at this website
Thanks for the update but could you mark where the Queens Village station is on the map or add a line to where it is. In the meantime here is a link to a map on wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Long_Island_Rail_Road_stations#/media/File:LIRR_schematic.svg
Apparently the press release, Trains staff sped read, is good old New York City (or state) hyperbole as Queens Village is WEST of the westend of the project Floral Park. (This from a 26 year resident of Rochester, NY and originally from Illinois )