Amtrak replacing East River tunnel tracks

MTA Long Island Rail Road announced Monday that Amtrak is beginning work the weekend of October 1-2 on a multi-year program for the full replacement of track in all four of its East River tunnels. MTA has urged Amtrak, which owns Penn Station, to perform this work to improve the reliability of train service linking Manhattan and Long Island points, as well as Northeast Corridor service between New York and Boston.

In May, an Amtrak train derailed in one of the East River tunnels due to a broken rail. The track damage resulted in a major disruption of LIRR service for almost a week as Amtrak crews worked around the clock to make repairs. Following this incident, inspections revealed significant water drainage issues inside the tunnels, LIRR said.

Over the course of the project work, which is expected to be completed by mid-year 2015, the total track structure in each tunnel will be replaced. New ties, continuous-welded running rail, stone ballast (rock), insulated joints, and impedance bonds will be installed for the length of each tunnel. Equally important, the drainage system throughout the tunnels will be re-established with newly re-designed drainage improvements.

The work is being performed on weekends, since fewer trains operate through the tunnels than on weekdays with the demands of the peak periods.