F train service between Lexington-63rd, Queensbridge resumes
ROOSEVELT ISLAND, New York (WABC) -- After seven long months of restorations, regular F train service has officially resumed.
Commuting on and off Roosevelt Island was tough for thousands of people in the last few months, but service is back between the Lexington-63rd and Queensbridge stations.
The track replacement project for the F line started back in August.
The MTA worked to build a new track between 47th and 50th Streets by Rockefeller Center in Manhattan, and 36th Street in Queens. This is one part of a larger, three-part project. Work also focused on the E and J lines, a total of 37,000 feet of track, with a price tag of $92 million.
All of this meant that Roosevelt Island residents had to find alternate ways to get around. Some took the tram, others drove or utilized the temporary shuttle service provided by the MTA.
"It was hard because it was a long wait, a lot of people crowding," said one commuter.
Transit officials were adamant that the infrastructure renewal was necessary.
"New ties, new running rail, new third rail, we poured a whole new concrete foundation. Fortunately, we don't have a lot of other parts of our system where we are going to have to do long work like this to replace track in the future," President of MTA Construction and Development James Torres-Springer said. "We fully demolished the track, the concrete foundation, and we rebuilt everything with brand new modern systems and technology."
The new rails are longer: 400 feet compared to just 40 feet. That means less welding, and in turn, a smoother ride.
Regular service was resumed right at 5 a.m. MTA leaders and representatives with Cornell Tech, a graduate campus of Cornell University, were on Roosevelt Island to greet commuters.
The project, according to MTA leaders who greeted morning riders, came in on budget. They say the goal now is to not have to do construction on this line again for three decades.
"Customers don't necessarily see it, but it's the track in this instance, power signals, those are the things we're investing in and that just makes their ride more reliable," said MTA President Richard Davey.
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