LIRR Officials, Federal Railroad Administration Discuss Overcrowding on Cannonball Train

The topic of overcrowding on the “Cannonball Express” train to Montauk was discussed during a meeting with the Federal Railroad Administration on Tuesday afternoon.

The meeting was previously scheduled to discuss a different, unrelated subject, according to MTA spokesperson Aaron Donovan, but the topic of overcrowding was later added to the discussion.

“We’re going to continue our productive conversations with them on this topic,” Donovan said in an e-mail. “For the rest of the summer Cannonball runs, we will take extra steps to ensure that aisles and emergency exits are kept clear of luggage, coolers and other objects that could impede access.”

The Cannonball Express is a train that runs from May to September taking passengers directly from Penn Station to the Hamptons.

The train makes stops in Westhampton, Southampton, Bridgehampton, East Hampton and Montauk.

The problem came up after CBS2 News released a report on the heavy overcrowding on the train on Monday.

During a trip on the Cannonball on Friday, August 7 at 4 p.m., it was reported that there were a total of 1,540 customers on board, leaving 494 people standing between 9 cars, according to CBS2 News.

“We will have extra LIRR personnel and MTA Police Department officers at Penn when the train is loading and on the train itself to ensure a safe and orderly ride,” Donovan said in an e-mail.