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LIRR to Restore Service Following Garbarino, Zeldin Urging MTA Leadership to Reverse Course

March 9, 2021

MASSAPEQUA, NY - Today, Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R, NY-2) and Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1) urged the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to reverse course on their recent service cuts, which have led to reports of infrequent, overcrowded trains. Following their urging, the MTA announced it would restore previously cut service.

“I applaud the MTA’s reversal of their recent service cuts decision,” said Congressman Garbarino. “It is in the best interest of employees, riders, and our community to have the timetable restored, and I am glad that the MTA and LIRR listened to our calls to ensure the safety of our constituents on their commutes to work.”

“The MTA’s decision to reverse course on recent service cuts, which led to infrequent and overcrowded LIRR trains, is great news for riders and workers alike,” said Congressman Zeldin. “New York is entering a critical phase of reopening and revitalizing our local and regional economy, and the MTA plays a vital role in getting us back to our way of life. Ensuring that commuters can return to work safely and efficiently, will help us emerge from the outbreak of coronavirus stronger than ever.”

"We heard our customers' concerns about our new schedule loud and clear. As a result, we will restore our previous timetable on March 29,” said Phil Eng, LIRR President. “In the meantime, we will continue to strategically add additional trains and lengthen trains to meet evolving ridership levels. We continue to monitor seating availability with unprecedented clarity thanks to new technology. As declining COVID-19 cases and increased deployment of the vaccine allow New York to fully reopen, customers should expect to see more riders returning to trains every day, and we look forward to it.”