Long Island Rail Road service is set to resume after negotiators reached an agreement to end a strike that had stalled one of the busiest commuter rail systems in North America, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Monday. Hochul said the deal will not raise fares or taxes and will give employees fair wages, though she said she was not at liberty to disclose specific contract details while the new terms are considered and voted on by union members.
The LIRR strike began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, cutting service for about 250,000 commuters who rely on the rail line that connects New York City with its eastern suburbs. Robert Free, the railroad’s president, said the system’s major commuter lines will begin running trains by noon Tuesday and that full service to all branches would return by the afternoon rush hour.
During Monday evening news briefings, Hochul described the negotiations as a collective bargaining process and said, “Negotiations are rarely easy, but I have a lot of respect for the collective bargaining process that unfolded over the last few days.” She added that the deal would address concerns for workers even as riders prepare for the restart.
Free told reporters, “Time to get back to work.” He said service would be phased in, starting with major lines first and expanding to full branch service before the Tuesday rush. The state and rail officials also urged riders to work from home again Tuesday if possible.
Union officials said the agreement is intended to be fair, but they did not disclose the promised terms immediately. Kevin Sexton, vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, said at a news conference that the unions believe the deal is fair, while also saying he would not share specifics about what the railroad promised workers until later. Sexton said the unions were looking forward to members returning to work “which is serving the region.”
The union had pressed for raises it said were necessary to help workers keep up with inflation and rising living costs, while the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said the unions’ initial demands would lead to fare increases. Rider advocacy group Long Island Rail Road Commuter Council said it would hold judgment until it saw more details about the deal and how it might affect future fare hikes, with chair Gerard Bringmann calling it a relief to daily riders who had a difficult day getting to and from work.
The agreement capped talks that had run for years. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority and leaders of five labor unions started bargaining for a new contract years ago, and the unions went on strike on Saturday after negotiations continued since 2023. Union officials and the MTA said they negotiated Sunday afternoon into the early hours Monday after prodding from the National Mediation Board, a federal agency that governs labor relations for railroads and airlines.
The conflict also broadened earlier when the federal government became involved. After the unions asked for the appointment of a panel of experts in September, the Trump administration temporarily averted a strike, but the parties still could not reach a deal after months passed.
Ahead of the restart, the strike’s disruptions continued through Monday. The MTA offered free but limited shuttle buses during the morning and evening rush hours starting Monday, and riders were left to navigate a mix of car, bus, and subway routes. The agency said more than 2,000 people used the shuttle service during the morning commute, compared with plans for about 13,000 riders.
After the initial walkout began, some people reported that their commutes more than doubled. Hallie Kessler, 24, said her trip from a Queens public school where she works as a speech therapist had taken far longer than usual during the strike period, and she described needing multiple segments of travel to get home.
Hochul said the deal also aimed to prevent similar disruptions for other major events on Tuesday. She pointed to Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks play, noting it sits directly above the railroad’s Penn Station hub in Manhattan. Hochul said, “Knicks fans will be able to take the train to MSG tomorrow in time for game one of the Eastern Conference Finals,” while also reiterating that riders should consider working from home if they can.
Negotiators had been working through the weekend as riders faced alternative routes and longer travel times, and MSI previously reported that sides were negotiating to end the LIRR strike ahead of Monday morning’s commute. With the strike ended by agreement Monday, the immediate focus shifts to union members’ vote on the new contract terms and the staged return of service starting Tuesday.