[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 58 (Tuesday, April 21, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E897]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 HONORING THE MTA LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. CAROLYN McCARTHY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 21, 2009

  Mrs. McCARTHY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
the MTA Long Island Rail Road, LIRR, for 175 years of service to Long 
Island and the surrounding metropolitan area. As a subsidiary of New 
York State's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the LIRR has been 
an essential component to the development of Long Island communities 
and has served as a gateway into the economic growth of the region.
  Chartered in 1834, the LIRR continues to be the oldest railroad in 
the United States still operating under its original name. Connecting 
communities stretching from Montauk, on the east end of Long Island, to 
Penn Station, in the heart of Manhattan, the LIRR serves 124 stations 
in Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan; and with 700 miles 
of track on 11 different branches, the Long Island railroad is the 
busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving over 87 million 
customers annually.
  Throughout its 175 years, the LIRR has been a vital component of the 
New York metropolitan region's transportation infrastructure, leading 
to the development of the Long Island communities it serves. Without 
the LIRR trains, more than 100,000 additional cars would use the roads 
into New York City each weekday.
  Madam Speaker it is my pleasure to acknowledge and thank the Long 
Island Rail Road and wish them the best of luck in the future.

                          ____________________