New York Governor Kathy Hochul joined lawmakers, union leaders and other officials for a ceremonial first train ride on the Long Island Rail Road’s Third Track on Monday, August 15, 2022.
The train left from Track 11 at Jamaica Station. Hochul entered the train car at 1:12 p.m. to applause from the officials already seated in the car.
Hochul sat across from Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. Across the aisle were three Long Island elected officials: New York State Senator Anna Kaplan, New York State Senator Kevin Thomas and New York State Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages.
Hochul chatted with all of them about the importance of the Third Track project, how it will provide better service and efforts made during the construction process to work with the impacted communities. The two discussed the new Elmont Station as the train passed and Lieber noted three ADA accessible elevators have been installed at the Floral Park Station.
The train pulled into the refurbished New Hyde Park Station at 1:35 p.m. and there was another round of applause. As she walked to a group of reporters waiting at a press conference at the station, Hochul stopped to thank conductor Nicole Sauter of Selden who was on the train. Sauter has worked as a conductor for 24 years.
-via Press Release