Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free to step down after 34 years of service: MTA chair

NYC Transit Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free to step down after 34 years of service: MTA chair By Ethan Stark-Miller … Comments Posted on November 9, 2026 Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free. Marc A. Hermann / MTA Rob Free, who has worked for the Long Island Rail Road for more than three decades, is stepping down as the system’s president come Nov. 20, MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber announced on Monday. Free has served as the 42nd president of the LIRR, the nation’s largest commuter rail system, for the past three years. Lieber first elevated Free to the role of acting president in October 2023, and then officially tapped him for the job the following April. “Under Rob Free, the Long Island Rail Road has delivered better service, for more riders than ever,” Lieber said in a statement. “He has positioned this agency to continue delivering fast, frequent, and reliable service for years to come. His extraordinary record of service is a model to everyone who wears the LIRR uniform.” Free’s departure was first reported by Newsday , which also revealed that he would officially retire on Dec. 1. Free began his career with the LIRR 34 years ago as a station cleaner and rose through the agency’s ranks. He held various roles, including senior vice president of operations, before ultimately becoming president. “Free departs after a remarkable career at the Long Island Rail Road,” he said. “A Port Jefferson native, he started his career cleaning Jamaica Station, led operations through the COVID-19 pandemic, and touched nearly every corner of the agency in between.” LIRR President Rob Free’s run from COVID through labor dispute During his tenure leading the LIRR, Free oversaw increases in on-time performance and ridership, Lieber said. In both June and September of this year, LIRR ridership surpassed that of the same months in 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Free also helmed the agency during the first three years of operation for the system’s Grand Central Madison station, which opened in early 2023. Moreover, projects to add a third track to the LIRR’s Main Line — boosting service by 41% — and construct a new concourse inside Penn Station were also completed during his time in charge. “Since Free began leading the agency in 2023, on-time performance reached 96%, the highest level in over a decade, public safety in the system reached new heights, and weekday ridership soared to 102 percent of pre-COVID levels,” Lieber said. “Free also oversaw the first three years of service to Grand Central Madison, the country’s first major new station in more than a half century.” Crucially, Free also shepherded the railroad through its first strike in over three decades . The three-day work stoppage involved five unions representing 3,500 workers, roughly half of the LIRR workforce, walking off the job to force the MTA to meet their demands for higher wages amid soaring inflation. It stranded tens of thousands of commuters, who were forced to work from home, take shuttle buses to the end of subway lines in eastern Queens, or drive in order to commute to and from the five boroughs. Free was heavily involved in days of closed-door negotiations that ultimately ended the strike with a deal that included sizable 14% raises for the striking workers over the four years of the contract. Lisa Daglian, executive director of the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA, praised Free in a statement for leading the LIRR through the strike and other turbulent periods. “Through difficult storms, tough negotiations, system expansions, and the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, President Free’s steady hand and calm leadership have been a welcome guide for the entire railroad,” Daglian said in a statement. “Riders from across the system deeply appreciate his commitment to service and improvement and wish him all the best in the years to come.” About the Author Ethan Stark-Miller Ethan Stark-Miller is amNewYork’s Transit Editor. He covers the MTA (including the subways and buses), the city Department of Transportation, and all other forms of getting around in the Big Apple. He previously covered politics for amNY. All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines . Schneps Media does not endorse the views shared by readers in our comment sections.