Particle.news
Download on the App Store
72 ARTICLES
·
2h ago

LIRR Strike Ends With Tentative Deal

Gov. Kathy Hochul says the agreement protects riders from fare or tax hikes.

Image
Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) workers picket in front of Penn Station in New York, on May 17, 2026.
An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows Striking LIRR workers picket outside Jamaica Station in Queens on Monday, May 18, 2026, as the LIRR engineers’ strike continues into its third day. Jamaica Station serves as a major LIRR hub connecting passengers to the E, J and Z subway lines. The strike has created a transportation nightmare across Long Island, leaving hundreds of thousands of travelers stranded after more than 3,500 engineers, signalmen and trainmen from five unions walked off the job following collapsed wage talks with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. MTA Chairman Janno Lieber said the unions rejected the agency’s final offer, which he said “literally gave them everything they wanted in terms of pay.” (Photo by Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Post.)

Overview

  • New York officials announced Monday night that the MTA and five unions reached a tentative contract that ends the three‑day Long Island Rail Road strike and restarts trains at noon Tuesday.
  • LIRR began restoring limited hourly service on select branches at midday Tuesday, with full service expected later in the day as crews and equipment returned to position.
  • The deal’s terms have not been released and union members still must ratify it, which could reopen the dispute if they vote it down.
  • Roughly 3,500 workers walked off early Saturday in the first LIRR strike since 1994, halting service for about 250,000 to 300,000 weekday riders across the New York region.
  • Officials cited high stakes for the region as the state comptroller estimated up to $61 million in daily economic losses and the MTA said only about 2,000 riders used emergency shuttle buses despite plans for many more.