NEW YORK — Long Island Rail Road trains are breaking down far less often this year — traveling 45 percent more miles between pit stops — enabling more of them to run on time, the New York Daily News reported.
Trains traveled an average 40,066 miles before suffering a mechanical problem this year through August, compared with 27,724 miles in the same period last year, officials said yesterday.
“When you see that kind of increase, it means the equipment is performing much better,” said Beverly Dolinsky, executive director of the Long Island Rail Road Commuters Council, an advocacy group. “It’s a big deal.”
Through August, 94.6 percent of LIRR trains arrived on time, compared with 93.1 percent last year.
“It’s the best on-time performance they’ve had in years,” Dolinsky said.
LIRR President Kenneth Bauer credited the improvements to more emphasis on maintenance and overhauls of older cars and engines, some of which were brought into service in 1968.
Over the last two years, the agency has overhauled more than 130 of its oldest cars, replacing major parts such as brakes and motors, LIRR spokesman Brian Dolan said.
Despite the improvements, the LIRR still runs behind Metro-North, also run by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Metro-North trains travel an average 76,000 miles before breakdown, and the railroad’s on-time record is 97.8 percent.
An older fleet of trains was partly responsible for the LIRR’s lagging performance, officials said, adding that they expect improvement as 678 new trains are phased in over the next five years.
On weekdays, the LIRR runs 740 electric and diesel-powered trains, mostly to or from Penn Station.