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Thiele Requests Second Track On LIRR

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Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. requested that Governor Andrew Cuomo amend his 2016 budget to include the construction of the second track

Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. requested that Governor Andrew Cuomo amend his 2016 budget to include the construction of the second track

authorAlisha Steindecker on Feb 10, 2016

If State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr. gets his way, a second track on the Long Island Rail Road could be on the horizon.

Last week, the assemblyman requested that Governor Andrew Cuomo amend his 2016 budget to include the construction of a second track running from Sayville to Montauk.

According to a release from Mr. Thiele’s office, Mr. Cuomo has already budgeted for a major capital improvement on the LIRR’s main line running from Floral Park to Hicksville. Mr. Thiele said the LIRR is not doing enough for South Fork residents, and that the railroad no longer serves simply as a commuter train between Long Island and New York City.

A second track would mitigate traffic on South Fork roads, especially during the summer, Mr. Thiele said. “The answer lies with underutilized rail lines that could expand public transit,” he said.

The second track would also serve shuttle trains from Patchogue to Montauk, helping local residents commute to their jobs. Suffolk County buses could be coordinated with the shuttle trains and transport workers to the “commercial and job centers on the East End,” according to the release.

“This truly would be the type of transformative project that Governor Cuomo is seeking to improve the quality of life and economic climate on Long Island and in New York State,” Mr. Thiele said in the release. “We only need the political will to make it happen.”

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