Overview
- An agreement announced by Governor Kathy Hochul will return about 3,500 Long Island Rail Road workers to their jobs, with service restarting in stages around midday.
- The pact remains tentative and requires a vote by members of the five unions, and a rejection could restart the walkout.
- The strike halted every LIRR line and upended travel for roughly 250,000 weekday riders, while free shuttle buses provided only about 13,000 seats in the morning and 13,000 in the afternoon.
- Talks had bogged down over pay for the final year of a four‑year deal, with unions seeking larger raises than the MTA’s offer of smaller annual increases plus one‑time payments; terms of the new agreement were not released.
- The shutdown cost the railroad about $2 million per weekday in lost fares, and riders with monthly passes will receive prorated credits.