The first L train. (Joe Lhota/Twitter)

Joe Lhota just made it official on Twitter. There's really nothing more to say. There will be a lot of crying into beers in North Brooklyn tonight—tears of joy, of course!—as almost a week without L train service comes to an end. How long before the cheering ends and the crowded misery resumes?

Update:The tunnel was flooded with some 15 feet of water along its 3,400-foot length under the East River, according to a release from the MTA. The agency had said before that this was the most seriously flooded line, owing to its main vent being right on the shore of the East River in Williamsburg. Starting over the weekend, crews were furiously pumping out the tunnel, working 24-hours a day, and still, it was not until yesterday that the work was complete.

It appears that any major announcements about subway restoration have come to an end. The N line to Coney from 59th Street in Sunset Park and the A line to the Rockaways currently have indeterminate reopening horizons, following serious damage to those above-ground lines. South Ferry is also closed, limiting service on the No. 1 and R trains downtown.

“We continue to progress toward the complete restoration of service and will continue to do so incrementally, but only when it’s safe and doesn’t overcharge the system,” Mr. Lhota said in the release. “However, much work remains to restore service in the Rockaways and along the Sea Beach Line in Brooklyn, which were devastated by Hurricane Sandy

Maybe we can raise the fares while nobody's looking? (MTA/Flickr)

Even though it started with a shutdown of service, Hurricane Sandy has probably engendered more love for the MTA then the transit agency has seen at least since the 1960s, before the system went to seed. The subway may well be enjoying more praise than ever in its 108-year history. Unless you live in North Brooklyn, restoration of the transit system came about remarkably fast in a city that had been devastated in every corner. The patience, and the appreciation, has been remarkable for an agency rarely accustomed to either.

But the love-in may well end tonight. That is when the MTA is due to hold its first hearing on the looming fare hikes for all corners of the mass transit system—not just those MetroCards, but also fares on the commuter rail lines and tolls on the bridges and (still flooded) tunnels. The meeting will be held in Brooklyn, at the Marriott at 333 Adams Street starting at 5 p.m. Doors are at 4 p.m., for those who want to get there early to sign up and speak. Another meeting was scheduled for Farmingdale, out on Long Island, but it has been canceled because, you know, they're still without power.

It will be curious to see how the public reacts at tonight's hearing. No doubt there will be praise heaped on the agency for its response to the storm, though also probably a bit of frustration, particularly from those North Brooklynites. But hey, at least the G train is running again, so they can get to the meeting.

One thing the hurricane will not do is help tamp down the hikes. This was a thought that had crossed our mind—the storm has shown the importance of mass transit, so maybe it could be used to draw political support to the cause, get Albany to come up with some sort of alternative funding stream for the MTA.

During an interview for our oral history of the storm response, we asked Mr. Lhota whether there was any way he thought that might happen.

"I don’t think that this staves off the fare hike that we’re going to have public hearings on relatively soon, but I do think it positions the MTA—it provides the MTA with more credibility of how important it is," Mr. Lhota said. "Not only do I have to make this place efficient, I’ve got to tell the world it’s efficient. There are elected officials who don’t run against their real opponent, they run against the MTA. Not all but some, and those some are quite vocal.

Mr. Lhota said that he has to combat those attitudes, and that the storm, in an ironic way, made that a little easier. "I don’t want to make it easy for people to pick on the MTA, I want us to provide the best possible service we possibly can, and I want to be able to prove to everyone how important we are for the economy, because it’s the economy. We’re not the goose that laid the golden egg, we’re like the wing of the goose that laid the golden egg. We get everybody there so they can go to work."

Indeed, as we saw last week, no MTA, no work, or at least one hell of a traffic jam. If anything, tonight might make us pine for the days right after the storm, when the buses were free.

At least fares will not rise even higher because of the storm. A reporter put the question to Gov. Cuomo last week, and he said he would see to it that the MTA was made whole by FEMA or insurers, whatever it took. Given all the damage to the system, it seems a legitimate concern that somehow fares might suddenly jump to $3 a pop after all this mayhem.

Train drain on the L-line. (MTA/Fickr)

Update, 11/6 11:42 a.m.: The MTA just announced that the L-train tube under 14th Street has been pumped out and "damage is currently being assessed."

Original post: Since we have become your defacto North Brooklyn subway depot—just take a look at the Popular Stories box right now—here is the latest from those skinny-pants filled lines. According to the MTA's evening service advisory, the Newtown Creek tunnel on the G-train has been pumped out while pumping work remains for the L.

As we previously reported, no tunnel saw more flooding than the L, which is among the reasons the MTA left it until the end of its recovery operations to pump out, because the more water, the longer it takes. Among the reasons the 4/5/6 and 2/3 were up and running so quickly is they needed minimal pumping. They also carry more people, making them, arguably a greater priority. Just don't tell that to the people living in North Brooklyn.

Meanwhile, the G-train may be clear of water, but signals still need to be repaired from what rushed in, which was salt water, remember, and thus more severe. Once repaired, the signals need to be tested. It does not appear that there will be G service tomorrow morning as a result, but the MTA has surprised us before, so keep those fingers cross.

In the meantime, remember, the B43 gets you pretty darn close to the bridge into Queens, and thus the No. 7 train to Midtown, so don't get stuck relying on the B62 to get you to work tomorrow. The MTA did say it will be running extra B62 buses to compensate for the absent subway service, as well.

The agency also reiterated the importance of getting these lines up and running again. "The top subway priority is now restoring service on the G and L trains through northwest Brooklyn, where alternate service on the J and M trains was extremely crowded," the statement read.

Meanwhile, service has expanded on the A/C lines, with the A-train running once again to 207th Street in Inwood, the last stop on the line. The C-train will start running to 168th Street in Harlem once again as a result. The B-line will also begin running, from Bedford Park in the Bronx all the way down to Kings Highway in Brooklyn, though neither that or the Q yet reaches Coney Island, which was hard-hit by the storm.

The MTA is also trying to figure out how to increase 1-train service through signal adjustments in order to allow for more riders on the West Side, where there was considerable crowding on the Seventh Avenue line during this morning's commute.

Pumping out South Ferry. (MTA/Flickr)

Update 6:32 a.m.: Here's the current map for your Monday morning commute, with all the latest subway lines colored in. Almost looks back to normal, don't it?

Original post: One of the miracles of the MTA's restoration of the subway system is how many lines the transit agency has managed to get up in running in such a short amount of time. With the exception of the L and the G, every single line is running in some fashion. There are the standouts, like the numbered trains, all of which are back to full service, end-to-end, and then there are pieces like the A-train to the Rockaways, which will be out of commission for who knows how long due to damage to the crossing through Jamaica Bay.

Numerous warning came today from the governor, mayor and MTA chief Joe Lhota that commuters tomorrow should exercise patience and caution. Go to work a little early or a little late, if you can manage it. Already trains will be running less frequently all day, about one every 10 minutes on the lines that are up, god willing there are no breakdowns on the tracks that have been heavily taxed by salt water and other extreme conditions never before fathomed.

(click to zoom)

“We are in uncharted territory here in bringing the system back,” Mr. Lhota said at a press briefing earlier. “It’s very different from what we had in Irene because of the amount of damage and the saltwater in our system. We will do everything we can to get everyone there. I just ask everyone to be understanding, and also try to think about flex time and try to leave a little bit earlier or a little bit later.”

As of midnight, service had resumed on the E-train between the World Trade Center and Parsons/Archer in Jamaica, Queens, yet another connection between the outer boroughs and Manhattan. Also, the A-train is traveling under the East River, connecting 168th Street in Harlem to Lefferts Boulevard in Brooklyn. Service on the Q-train between Astoria Queens and Kings Highway in Brooklyn has also been restored.

These connections are not yet visible on the MTA's evolving subway map [PDF], but some restorations from today, like the J-train back to Manhattan and the F-train's completed loop are. The hope remains to connect the 1-train to Rector Street and the J-train to Broad Street by rush hour tomorrow.

You can read more about the restoration of service here.

The pump train, working it in the Cranberry Tunnel. (MTA/Flickr)

Updated, 11/05 12:40 a.m.:Looks like the Monday morning commute is shaping up as expected.

Update, 9:12 p.m.: Service has been restored on the J-train into Manhattan, but service on the B/D/F/M line remains suspended because of "unforeseen problems with electrical service" at the West 4th Street station, according to an MTA statement. "Crews are still pushing to restore service on additional subway lines between Brooklyn and Manhattan before midnight," the statement concludes.

Original post: So the MTA has done an unbelievable job restoring subway service after so much of the system was knocked out following Superstorm Sandy. Even MTA chief Joe Lhota said as much this morning at a press briefing. "I'm really proud of the MTA for coming back as fast as it did," he said standing outside the 69th Regimental Armory. "It exceeded most of the public's expectation and it exceeded my expectations, too. I didn't think I'd be standing here today telling you we'd be at 81 percent."

Service will be back to 84 percent by Monday, covering most of Lower Manhattan with many lines fully restored. In addition to the 4/5/6 and 7-train resuming full service this morning, the B/D/F/M lines will all be back later today. The Q-train will be back, as well, from Astoria all the way to storm-ravaged Coney Island. The 2/3 will resume full service between Brooklyn and the Bronx tonight or tomorrow. Thanks to the resumption of subway service, the MTA will stop running the bus bridge that has been bringing Brooklynites into Manhattan Saturday afternoon.

By Monday, the E-train will resume service from Jamaica to the World Trade Center and the N train will run from Astoria to 59th Street in Sunset Park though service beyond there will not be back. The A-train will also resume service downtown, from 168th Street in Harlem to Lefferts Boulevard/Ozone Park in Queens.  The 1-train will be running to Rector Street but not South Ferry, where  photos of flooding have been a sensation on the Internet. "We should be back to close to full service in time for the commute Monday morning," Mr. Lhota said.

Trains to the Rockaways are still months away, due to destruction on the Broad Channel crossing, as The Observer previously reported. And North Brooklyn and their hipster-beloved trains remain out of luck—there will be no service on the L or the G trains until those lines can be pumped out at some point next week.

"The L, I'm particularly worried about because of how long the water is," Mr. Lhota said. "My hope is it's one day next week, I really do." The MTA is pointing to restored M and J service into Manhattan as an alternative route for North Brooklynites into the city.

There are other outlying sections of the train without service, like the piece of the A-train in Washington Heights and Inwood north of the 168th Street station.

The system now has full power, and it is only residual flooding that is holding stations back from opening. "As of Friday night, we had 60 percent of our system up and running, by tonight we're adding another 21 percent, so we'll be at 81 percent, and by Monday, we'll only have 16 percent to go," Mr. Lhota said.

The system has been coming back "inch by inch, rail by rail," Mr. Lhota added.

Update:An MTA spokesman just provided the following explanation for why the MTA has yet to be able to provide at least partial service along the L and G lines within Brooklyn where the tracks are not flooded:

"The answer on the L is that it's impossible to turn trains around easily mid-route for a Brooklyn shuttle service," Mr. Lisberg wrote in an email. "Very difficult to set up because of the track layout. They may try now that other lines are getting better service, but that's just a discussion at this point. As for the G, enough of it is parallel to other lines—plus the naturally low ridership."