Trains started rolling again on the Long Island Rail Road on Tuesday after a deal was reached to end a strike that had shut down the busiest commuter rail system in the U.S., according to the Associated Press. The first departures came shortly after noon from New York City’s Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal, and officials planned for full service to return in time for the evening rush home.
The pause in service had left many riders weighing what a resolution will mean in practice. Michele Forrester, who uses the LIRR to get to a job at a grocery on Long Island, said the strike should not have reached that point, citing the contrast between workers’ pay and the cost of living and describing the push for more money. Nya Archie, a filmmaker traveling from Queens into Manhattan, described the stoppage as a reminder that working people remain central to keeping New York functioning.
Alongside the reopening, union leaders began briefing rank-and-file members on the contract terms, Jamie Horwitz said, representing the five unions involved. Voting was expected to take place over the coming days under each union’s ratification process.
The walkout began at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, when the strike shut down service and affected roughly 250,000 commuters who rely on the rail line that connects New York City to its eastern Long Island suburbs each weekday. Earlier in the week, commuters had faced a difficult work rush as trains were not ready for service in time once the agreement was reached late Monday—an outcome that left transportation planning uncertain right up to the start of Tuesday’s restart.
On Tuesday, the LIRR urged riders to work from home again, and shuttle buses were offered from several locations on Long Island to subway stations in New York City while service returned. Even with trains operating, riders said they still wanted clarity on what changes—especially around fares—might follow from the new agreement, including whether it would affect future costs.
Hallie Kessler, a 24-year-old speech therapist who commuted three hours home on Monday, said she was relieved not to face the morning trip during the afternoon shift. She said she was watching for what the deal might say about future fares, describing it as a major concern.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and railroad officials declined to disclose details of the new contract terms until union members approved them. Hochul, who is up for reelection, emphasized that the deal would not increase fares or taxes.
Robert Free, president of the LIRR, described the agreement as a way to “make the numbers work,” saying there were items in the contract that would make it more affordable and easier for the railroad to fit within its financial structure. He spoke shortly before the first trains departed.
During the shutdown, disruptions spread beyond commuting. Over the weekend, baseball fans had to find other ways to reach Citi Field in Queens to watch the New York Mets play the New York Yankees, and Hochul said the deal would prevent a similar disruption for basketball fans traveling to Madison Square Garden, which sits above the Penn Station hub.