The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), chartered in 1834, is America's oldest continuously operating railroad, evolving from early steam lines connecting to ferries into a vast electrified system under the Pennsylvania Railroad by 1900, crucial for suburban growth, and eventually managed by the MTA, linking Long Island to Manhattan and expanding significantly with projects like the East Side Access to Grand Central Madison. Early Days & Consolidation (1830s-1890s) 1834: LIRR chartered to link New Yor