Amtrak completes first phase of East River tunnel rehabilitation

Amtrak has completed the first phase of a 15-month rehabilitation project for one of the two East River tunnels used by Amtrak, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), and NJ Transit. The project aims to repair damage caused by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, which flooded the tunnels and left corrosive salt residue.

The rebuilt Line 2 tunnel features significant infrastructure upgrades, including 24,000 feet of new rail, 8,000 tons of ballast, and new concrete bench walls. To improve flood resilience, officials installed a more accessible drainage system and new pumps designed to move water out of the tunnels more efficiently should future flooding occur.

While the project improves safety and visibility through better lighting, the decision to shut down one tunnel entirely rather than performing repairs during off-peak hours caused service disruptions for the LIRR and other agencies. Rehabilitation work on the second damaged tunnel, Line 1, is scheduled to begin this fall.