Governor Kathy Hochul joined leaders from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) for a ceremonial train ride on the LIRR Third Track. Officials rode between Jamaica and the recently upgraded New Hyde Park station.
The following report was filed by pooler Lisa Colangelo of Newsday and may be excerpted or copied without attribution by any news organization.
While it is being distributed by the MTA to its media list, the report was wholly created by Colangelo and not subject to editing.
Gov. Kathy Hochul joined lawmakers, union leaders and other officials for a ceremonial first train ride on the Long Island Rail Road's Third Track on Monday, August 15, 2022.
The train left from Track 11 at Jamaica Station. Hochul entered the train car at 1:12 p.m. to applause from the officials already seated in the car.
"We've been talking about this for so long," she commented before joking "Am I supposed to say all aboard?"
Hochul sat across from Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. Across the aisle were three Long Island elected officials: New York State Senator Anna Kaplan, New York State Senator Kevin Thomas and New York State Assemblywoman Michaelle Solages.
Hochul chatted with all of them about the importance of the Third Track project, how it will provide better service and efforts made during the construction process to work with the impacted communities.
"Thank you on behalf of Long Island," Kaplan told Hochul. "This will make us flourish."
"Thank you for doing great work for our constituents," Solages added.
As the train pulled out of Jamaica Station and rolled through downtown Jamaica, Lieber pointed out various commercial and residential developments being constructed along the track route.
The two discussed the new Elmont Station as the train passed and Lieber noted three ADA accessible elevators have been installed at the Floral Park Station.
The train pulled into the refurbished New Hyde Park Station at 1:35 p.m. and there was another round of applause.
As she walked to a group of reporters waiting at a press conference at the station, Hochul stopped to thank conductor Nicole Sauter of Selden who was on the train.
Sauter has worked as a conductor for 24 years.