Overview
- Amtrak returned Line 2 to revenue service on Monday after a roughly 13–15 month full closure that let crews strip the tube to its concrete liner and rebuild tracks, bench walls, drainage, power and signals.
- The reconstruction replaced more than 24,000 feet of bench wall, new drainage and electrical systems, and brighter tunnel lighting to improve safety and make the tube more resilient to future floods.
- The shutdown forced the Long Island Rail Road to cut peak service by about 20 percent and coincided with service incidents this year, including a May track fire and debris strikes that worsened delays.
- The two‑tunnel program costs about $1.6 billion, roughly $1.3 billion of which came from an FRA grant, and Amtrak plans to start work on Line 1 this fall with completion expected by the end of 2027.
- Amtrak has launched an independent review of lessons learned and says revised methods and equipment will speed the next phase while the MTA presses for tighter mitigation to limit rider disruption.