New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Monday that the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) strike is set to end after the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and union leaders reached an agreement.
In a post on X, Hochul said phased LIRR service is expected to resume Tuesday at noon, easing travel disruptions for hundreds of thousands of commuters across the New York region.
“Tonight, the [MTA] reached a fair deal with the five LIRR unions that delivers raises for workers while protecting riders and taxpayers,” Hochul wrote. “I’m pleased to announce that phased LIRR service will resume beginning tomorrow at noon.”
The breakthrough came after thousands of LIRR workers went on strike at midnight Saturday, effectively shutting down the nation’s busiest commuter railroad for the first time in more than three decades and threatening major economic disruption across the New York region ahead of Memorial Day.
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The strike halted service for roughly 300,000 daily riders after last-minute contract negotiations between the MTA and a coalition of five rail unions failed to produce a wage agreement.
The MTA confirmed Saturday that all LIRR service was suspended and warned there was “no substitute” for the railroad, urging commuters to work remotely if possible as officials braced for severe congestion and delays throughout the metropolitan region.
New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office estimated the strike could cost the regional economy up to $61 million per day in lost economic activity, as commuters scrambled for alternatives and businesses prepared for disruptions.
The labor action marked the first LIRR strike since 1994. Union leaders said workers involved in the coalition had gone more than three years without raises while negotiating a new labor agreement.
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“This strike would not have happened if the MTA and LIRR offered our members the reasonable terms the government recommended multiple times. But management refused,” Mark Wallace, president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the Teamsters Rail Conference, said in a statement.
“We hope LIRR gets serious soon to avoid further unnecessary disruptions for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. They know where to find us when they’re ready: on the streets.”
MTA officials defended their bargaining position, arguing that excessive wage increases could ultimately drive up fares and strain the transit system’s finances.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said the agency “cannot responsibly make a deal that implodes MTA’s budget” and warned taxpayers and riders could ultimately bear the cost of larger wage increases.
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Hochul had previously criticized the strike as “reckless,” warning it could hurt commuters, businesses and the broader regional economy.
President Donald Trump also weighed in on the dispute, blaming Hochul for allowing the strike to occur.
“If you can’t solve it, let me know, and I’ll show you how to properly get things done,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
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