Commuters to Long Island Rail Road: Trains are dirty

[TexasTowelie]

The Long Island Rail Road, just months after promising to ramp up efforts to keep trains clean, is fielding complaints from riders and its own workers about trains being filthy.

The accounts of spilled beer and coffee on train floors, food grime on seats and windows, and bathrooms overflowing with sewage come as the LIRR — under pressure by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to cut costs — scales back a plan to increase train cleaning efforts. The LIRR said its "car appearance maintainers" clean each of the railroad's 115 train sets about 4.5 times a day.

It also comes as the railroad continues to carry a record number of riders, including some who, according to fellow commuters, think little of leaving their trash behind when they step off a train. The LIRR carries close to 300,000 riders on an average weekday.

"Ridership at historically high levels places great demands on our system," LIRR spokesman Aaron Donovan said. "We are meeting those demands with a diverse set of responses, and we continue to look at new ways to improve further.”

Read more: https://www.newsday.com/long-island/transportation/clean-forward-eng-lirr-cars-1.25829252

[Sherman A1]

1. One would believe

That if ridership is up, ticket sales are also up creating additional revenue which might be used for upkeep of the system.

[PJMcK]

2. An interesting observation

I live in New York City and have often taken the trains to Long Island and Connecticut. These are my anecdotal observations.

The Metro North trains that run from Grand Central Station to upstate New York and Connecticut are almost always on time. They are mostly clean with functioning rest rooms. The conductors and other employees are professional, dressed in their uniforms and behave in a friendly manner. You don't see garbage onboard the trains.

In contrast, the LIRR is a mess. The trains are frequently late. They are filthy with garbage in nearly every seating area. The seats themselves are dirty and many are damaged. Many of the train workers are surly and wear their uniforms sloppily. The NYC subways are often cleaner than the LIRR.

Since both train lines are managed by the Metropolitan Transit Authority, what could account for the differences?