The East Side Access Project Discussion (ESA)

truck6018 wrote:One thing I'm very interested in seeing how it plays out is the hours of the ESA at GCT. Currently Grand Central Terminal is closed from 2AM to 5:15AM. Being LIRR runs 24 hours service, will they run 24 hours service out of GCT or limit service in accordance with GCT's current hours?

Interesting point. I think at that time of day, Penn seems like the place to put the trains. Infact, other than the LIRR, there are only 2 revenue trains that use Penn. Amtrak trains 66 and 67.

The LIRR terminal is seperate from current Grand Central terminal, at night the doors between both terminals will be closed, only acces from Madison Ave or other direct entrances to LIRR (ESA) terminal.

So Doc, did the C-1 train actually get sent out to Montauk, or did somebody stop it from happening?

No, someone stopped it, but I dont know who told the supervisor.
Those sort of things happen from time to time.
One holiday, my crew and I were ordered to take a train to Port Washington, as an extra train after a Mets Game.
Knowing the normal equipment manipulation for Port Wash at the time, I knew there would be no tracks open for an extra, the Yard would be full.
So I went to the supervisor, and told him there would be no room at the inn at Port Wash, thats why the Mets extras turned at Great Neck.
I was lambasted by the supervisor, he said dont you think I took care of that you a-hole?
Ok sorry..
We went to port wash, no open tracks, had to put the head cars on a platform that only had 8 cars, walk the passengers up.
Was then ordered by 204 to take the train back to NY.
Made 4 hours overtime, since we were a Port Wash crew and we missed the 120AM train back to Port wash.
Supervisor would not talk to me for weeks.

Just a quick note folks: Get your photographs while all the changes are taking place and the ESA project completes. Set your cameras so I date/time is captured so years from now this historic event can be documented.

I have this material http://www.trainsarefun.com/lirr/licity/licity2.htm through 2010. Anyone with more current shots?

Yard A 03/25/2010 Photo: Bernie Ente

whats likely to happen with West Hempstead and Oyster Bay branches after ESA?

Abandoned

They won't be abandoned. Oyster Bay may be relegated to a shuttle to/from Mineola, though.

Too much political influence (read: $$$) on those branches for them to be abandoned. Maybe relegated to rush-hours-only service, but they won't be abandoned anytime soon.

Joking, joking....most likely shuttles from mineola terminating on the new third track and the same at valley stream. Probably direct trains during rush hours.

Marc Beja of [i]Newsday[/i] wrote:The Federal Transit Administration said the MTA needs to deal with cost and scheduling setbacks and make management changes, according to a report obtained by amNewYork.

Bill Henderson of the MTA's Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee said....the East Side Access project may be in bad shape. "I think they've got some serious issues to deal with and I don't know if they can do it," Henderson said

It's official I think. MTA is revising the project's completion date from late 2016 to early 2018. They blame slower than expected progress in tunneling and other related difficulties.

Sandhog dies on project.

http://www.justicenewsflash.com/2011/11 ... 09080.html

Merged new topic into sticky topic.

The thing I like most about this project is the GCT connection it will provide. You'll now be able to go from any point on the EOH MNRR system to almost any point on the LIRR system without having to take the shuttle and 1,2 or 3 over to Penn.

Yes, that will be quite a benefit to mass transit users. I only hope I get to ride it in my lifetime............

TESS has just completed it's first tunnel drive today. Molina should be done with the Yard Lead drive in January.