LIRR derailment reignites third track debate

The LIRR train derailment that injured 33 people last week has reignited the debate over adding a third track. Gov. Andrew Cuomo held a news conference following the accident. He and the MTA chairman

News 12 Staff

Oct 13, 2016, 2:07 AM

Updated 2,912 days ago

Share:

The LIRR train derailment that injured 33 people last week has reignited the debate over adding a third track.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo held a news conference following the accident. He and the MTA chairman said the derailment is a good example of why a third track is needed. Cuomo pointed out that with a third track, trains would have still been running despite the accident.
Some residents are upset that Cuomo used the accident as a platform to promote his controversial plan, which they say threatens nearby communities and homes.
"I think it's a tragedy," says Bill Corbett, of the Citizens Against Rail Expansion. "I mean that it's a terrible thing that the proponents of the third track are using a tragedy like this to make or advance their political agenda." 
Village of Floral Park Administrator Gerry Bambrick says the current tracks run alongside a playground and pool and are just feet away from homes. He feels the derailment should serve as an argument against the third track.
The MTA plans to present its environmental impact statement on the project and hold public hearings on the third track in about a month.