New York City’s sprawling suburbs on Long Island are being eyed for future service by Amtrak, the US intercity railroad, Newsday reports.
Amtrak’s board of directors announced that it has reached an agreement with New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to jointly study ways to extend Amtrak service beyond New York’s Penn Station to Long Island. The MTA operates the Long Island Rail Road, which operates over an extensive system of tracks serving much of the 118-mile-long island.
“This access will allow for through and connecting service from Long Island to other Amtrak destinations throughout region, the Northeast Corridor and the nation,” according to an Amtrak press release.
Amtrak Senior Executive Vice President Stephen Gardner said the new Long Island service would target “key population centres” on Long Island.
The railroad also announced an agreement with the MTA to allow for Metro-North Railroad service into New York’s Penn Station. Metro-North, which serves Westchester County and New York’s northern suburbs, currently utilises Grand Central Terminal as its Manhattan hub.
Metro-North would use the so-called Hell Gate line to reach Penn Station from New Rochelle, NY, and four new stations would be built along the line at Hunts Point, Parkchester, Morris Park, and Co-op City, officials said.
