East Side Access Project Stalled Yet Again As MTA, Amtrak Clash Over Closures
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Another stall in the long-awaited East Side Access project.
The problem spot right now seems to be the Herald Interlocking in Long Island City, Queens, where the Long Island Rail Road shares a busy junction with Amtrak, WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported.
The MTA said in order to complete the East Side Access project, Amtrak must allow them to work on certain nights and weekends -- something the organization says was previously agreed upon.
However, Amtrak says the proposed MTA schedule assumes outages that go beyond existing commitments and the schedule hinges on a number of variables beyond Amtrak's support.
In 2015, the project was stalled in the same area due to a shortage of Amtrak employees, according to the MTA.
The $10 billion project will connect the LIRR with Grand Central Terminal. The project is more than halfway completed.
he new terminal is expected to open in time for Christmas of 2022.