LIRR Mainline Third Track Project

Thursday evening a General Notice should be going out putting in service the final portion (ML2) from NA3 to DIV. There's still a lot to do, a few more switches in Queens and wrapping up, but this is a big deal. Once everything is in and %100, this should really open things up. Man, it was a long road, but glad to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

General Notice 1-21 effective Thursday September 29th, 2022 9:59 pm

Mainline No. 2 track is now in service Nassau 3 Interlocking to Divide Interlocking

Gamer - Thanks for the post about the new GN with mention that Track 2 has been completed and will open
between Nassau 3 and Divide - literally completing the addition of a third track for the 10.1 Main Line segment
between Floral Park and Hicksville...As Krispy mentions there is plenty of other work for 3TC before the entire
project gets finished - this completes the most important part(s) of the construction phase...

Krispy: Yes-this has been a long road for 3TC and this important LIRR improvement remembering as example
the NIMBY opposition that this project had to overcome to even be built in the firstplace...This is a milestone
in LIRR history that there are now three tracks between Floral Park and Hicksville in service as of 9/29 10 PM...

The monthly update for October 2022 in the coming days from 3TC is going to be quite interesting in itself...
This is an achievement that all involved can be proud of...MACTRAXX

Saw Edward's photos at Westbury, and started to think, "Man they're about complete! I wouldn't be surprised if the service portion of the project is completed by the end of the weekend!" Sure enough you tell me that we have triple-track service all the way from Hicksville to Floral Park. Ed's photos though showed TC-82 balancing the new track over School Street with the temporary pedestrian bridges that were laid when the temporary platform was demolished. By the way, I am safe after Ian which passed 30 miles from where I live, so I am safe with no damage. Aside from Queens Interlocking switches, the following has to be completed:

1.) Decorative work at Mineola & Westbury.
2.) Infrastructure at Mineola & Westbury.
3.) RAS signals that need to go online at NASSAU 2.
4.) Headhouses and surroundings at Mineola & Westbury.
5.) The new MLT2 needs rail/tie replacement from DIVIDE to Hicksville, along with cleanup of pesky weeds. Although, this might have already been done.
6.) Rip out the old wooden poles, and possible replacement of wooden poles West of Carle Place and East of Westbury.

Everyone - Here is the 3TC update for October 2022:
https://lirrexpansion.com/2022/09/30/up ... ober-2022/

As previously posted the LIRR General Order placing Track 2 in service between Nassau 3 and Divide through
Carle Place and Westbury is the most significant news of the month - for all intents and purposes completes
the construction of the third track for the entire 10.1 mile Main Line route between Floral Park and Hicksville.

Stopped briefly at Carle Place and Westbury during the PM Peak hours on Friday September 30th...
12 bridge plates are in place at the east end(s) of Platform B at both CPL and WBY stations allowing
the first six cars east to platform - My hunch is that there is still some additional work needed for the
new Track 2 to become fully operational - that may be part of this weekend October 1-2 track outage...
Look for Track 2 to be in service through CPL and WBY for the AM Peak period Monday October 3rd...

The only other weekend track outage scheduled is October 29-30...There is additional mention that
there may be other weekend Main Line track work if necessary for additional construction...

There are some stretches of track with wood ties still in service - such as a segment of Track 3 west of CPL
to the Nassau 3 area - during upcoming track work possibly during weekend outages the TLS may be used
to install new concrete ties - keeping the same rails in use. When welded rails are to be replaced the new
rails are placed alongside both sides of the track in question - a good example of this is along the Central
Branch in the West Babylon area currently...Also note that the Mineola photo in the current 3TC update
shows the recently replaced wood ties through the station area on center Track 1...

Fall 2022 is going to be remembered as a memorable period in LIRR history with three tracks in service on
the Main Line and ESA/GCT Madison opening in December in time for the Holiday Season...MACTRAXX

Unless I double counted a few, I found 170 trains passing thru Mineola on a weekday schedule, eff. Sept. 6.
Were a significant number of trains added 9/6? It appears from looking at the eastbound schedules that most of the overtakes were timed to take place west of Park -if this is true TK 1 under the new operation east of Park would only be needed for overtakes if someone is not running on schedule? Are further additions to the schedule planned in the near future?
Andy

The big schedule changes will take place when East Side Access opens. My understanding is that until then the old schedules remain in effect.

Andy-I will second H-E and mention that there will be **MAJOR** LIRR schedule changes going into effect in
December when ESA/GCTM opens for service...Completing the track construction phase of the Main Line 3TC
Project is a significant accomplishment in itself - on time and in budget...

Third Track Completion (Monday October 3, 2022) news reports from News 12, Fox 5 and the MTA:
https://bronx.news12.com/watch-live-gov ... ck-project
https://youtube.com/watch?v=8D8iDXpt6aQ
https://youtube.com/watch?v=-t6zNDEpDrU

MACTRAXX

Another update:

Effective Thursday October 6th, 2022 12:01am as per General Notice 1-23

New 12 Car platform in service at Elmont Passenger Station North of Mainline No. 3 Track (Platform A)
Existing 8 car platform South of Mainline No. 4 Track has been extended to 12 cars (Platform B)

Everyone - Stopped at Carle Place and Westbury Stations during the PM Peak hours Thursday afternoon...
With the perfect weather Thursday was a good day to catch the LIRR three-track Main Line in action...
There have been changes made since Friday September 30 six days ago at both stations:

CARLE PLACE is now completed with the removal of the bridge plates to Track 1 which was the only
track construction remnants remaining over the October 1-2 weekend.
Both 12 car platforms to Tracks 2 and 3 are in service at CPL.

WESTBURY has many changes that I noticed to be outlined as construction continues...
1-Platform A/Track 3 and Platform B/Track 2 are both fully open for 12 cars.
2-The plaza on the north side is open on Union Avenue between the pedestrian underpass in the
center of the station and Post Avenue - the bridge underpass east sidewalk is clear of obstructions.
3-The center pedestrian underpass status is a questionmark - there is new lighting and white glazed
brick on the side walls - two temporary signs mentioning that the underpass is closed 9:30 AM To 4 PM
were on the south side end near the Daily Ticket TVM which is at ground level - there was no signs at all
on the north side along Union Avenue posted or visible about the underpass...
4-Platform A has two rampways on each end and three stairways available for access. The full service TVM
is at platform level just west of the station building which is closed and undergoing renovation.
5-Platform B has one rampway on the west end along with two staircases to ground level - there is sidewalk
access between the pedestrian underpass and Post Avenue at ground level paralleling Platform B.
There is an east staircase near the Storage Facility that goes into a fenced-in "maze" to Railroad Avenue.
The south WBY parking lot along Railroad Avenue is used for 3TC construction vehicles and equipment.
6-Both of the overhead pedestrian passageways are under construction - staircases are in the process of
being installed. The status of the four elevators is not known or a timeline towards opening of one or both.
In closing Westbury Station is still continuing to be a work-in-progress for 3TC...MACTRAXX

Good stuff! I'm photo documenting the project: http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/3rd%20 ... roject.htm

A note re: the construction staging area in the former south pkg. lot at Westbury Station. That area has been replaced by the new pkg. deck on the north side of Union Ave. It will no longer be a parking lot after the construction. I believe the plan is to build apartments there similar to what Farmingdale Village looks like.

I thought I'd note that this thread started in 2004! Say what you want about former Governor Grab Ass, but he got shit done.

I agree. Whatever else was wrong with Governor Cuomo, he was good at getting transportation projects done. A lot to be said for that.

Actually, work on obtaining FRA approval was going on as early as 1990; to qualify for funding it was necessary to apply an FRA formula to every one of the 300+ grade crossings on Long Island -- including those on the Lower Montauk -- to determine which ones were most in need of grade separation. Of course the survey showed that the crossings between Floral Park and Hicksville were indeed the ones most in need owing largely to the number of rail movements (passenger, freight, other than passenger or freight, by day and by night). Anybody could have told them that, but the record had to show it. Analysis of each crossing had to include the number of vehicles crossing (automobiles, trucks, hazmat trucks, school buses, by day and by night (determined by traffic counts), and color photos of each crossing as seen from various angles (at least four, and more for complex crossings). All this had be done before funding could be applied for.

Some posts in various forums have wondered where the money paid to consultants goes; this is one example.