Rockaway Peninsula, NY – New York State Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato joined Governor Kathy Hochul to officially celebrate the completion of the construction on the A Train. For almost 5 months the MTA was conducting major upgrades to the infrastructure which resulted in a suspension of service from Howard Beach to Broad Channel and the Rockaway Peninsula. The construction project was desperately needed as the line had not been properly updated. The improvements will help protect the line from storms and ensure reliable service for over 9,000 daily riders.

“We’re back and better than before! The A train and Rockaway Shuttle serve as a lifeline for our community and after this 5-month construction we have rebuilt and upgraded our trains infrastructure to ensure reliable service for years to come! All that’s left to say is - all aboard,” said Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato.

The project was a complete reconstruction of the Hammels Wye, an elevated structure that all trains must cross to reach the Peninsula. It also focused on the South Channel Bridge which must swing open to allow for marine traffic to cross Jamaica Bay. The bridge underwent a needed overhaul to update its aging electrical and mechanical components which previously were often the source of significant delays in train service. Through two 10-hour shifts, 200 construction workers worked 20 hours a day on both weekdays and weekends to complete this portion of the project on time. The work on the Rockaway Line Resiliency and Rehabilitation Project including structural repairs, new interlocking infrastructure, and a new signal tower that is set to be finished by 2026.

Pheffer Amato praised her constituents for their toughness during the outage. “There was a bit of a transition in the beginning, but I appreciate how our community took the opportunity to choose alternative methods like the LIRR and bus service. While this caused some additional congestion and missing parking spots in areas like on Beach 116th Street, with the project completed, everything should be back to normal,” said the Assemblywoman.