Modernizing New York commuter rail: through-running service between New York City, New Jersey, Long Island, Westchester, and Connecticut

Modernizing New York Commuter Rail is a November 2023 report published by the Effective Transit Alliance, a New York-based transportation research group. It analyzes the state of New York City's commuter rail systems—the Metro-North Railroad (MNR), the Long Island Railroad (LIRR), and New Jersey Transit (NJT), all inefficiently woven together by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) via disconnected termini at Grand Central Station and New York Penn Station. For a city as renowned as New York, the situation is less than ideal. But we have an opportunity to make it great.

The main thesis of the proposal is that New York would benefit from linking together its disparate transit networks to allow for through-running train service across the region. "Through-running" is when trains continue through a center-city station (or multiple) to another line rather than terminating downtown. This allows for a one-seat ride from, say, New Jersey to Long Island; currently, this is impossible and the trip takes about twice as long as it should. Through-running significantly reduces cross-region trip times and improves the operational efficiency of the railroad itself. The usefulness of this design also greatly boosts transit ridership. This method is increasingly recognized as superior to the disconnected terminating commuter lines we currently see in New York. Cities like London, Paris, Tokyo, and even Philadelphia have wisely adopted through-running practices, and in fact NYC's subway system already operates on this principle. New York's commuter railroads should be next.

The report focuses on a cost-effective way to implement through running in New York specifically by implementing a phased approach of service improvements, junction changes, flyover/grade construction, line electrification, station and platform upgrades and infill, and additional tunneling, such as between Grand Central and Penn Station. Some of these infrastructure projects already have funding fully allocated, such as the Hudson River Tunnel Project to double train capacity across the river (within about a decade: glacial, I know); the report lauds them. It also proposes the cancellation of wasteful projects. Luckily, much of the infrastructure is already in place: we just have to connect the pieces. Many of these projects are necessary to sustain the region's growth trajectory either way, but current plans do not specifically incorporate through-running. The ETA's report highlights the many tangible benefits offered by this practice.

Additionally, the report calls for significantly greater off-peak train service. It argues convincingly that the transportation needs of the 21st century do not exclusively entail rush hour commutes to suburban destinations. While that is an important use-case for transit to serve, many workers do not get in and out of the office at peak times and thus miss out on frequent service. Further, people also take an enormous number of trips unrelated to work, such as trips for school, research, medical purposes, leisure, and more. These trips may occur within urban peripheries and are not always between downtown and distant suburbs. However, these trips are not served by a rush hour peak commuter service structure. Through-running trains make it possible to serve more of these polycentric use-cases more efficiently.

I've linked to a brief summary of the full report which covers all the important takeaways of the proposal. If you're interested in seeing more details, you can see the full report here. You can also view the report in PDF form (47 pages). You can read more the ETA's statements on their website and receive occasional email updates if you desire.