Unions representing about half of the Long Island Rail Road’s workforce are threatening to walk off the job on Thursday if their demands aren’t met.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s response should be to show the public exactly what those demands are.

The LIRR is the busiest commuter railroad in the nation, moving over a quarter-million riders on a typical weekday.

It’s also one of state government’s oldest problems.

The system is unique among New York public agencies because it’s owned and operated by the state but operates under archaic rules designed a century ago for private railroads.

That combination has been awful, from the perspective of commuters and taxpayers alike.

Private commuter lines went out of business if they couldn’t keep trains running on time, so to speak.

By contrast, Long Island Rail Road went through bankruptcy beginning in 1949, got significant assistance from taxpayers and was again in bad shape when the state bought it in the 1960s.

Some of its worst baggage remained.

The constant threat of strikes and state government’s ability to raise taxes to pay for union demands have allowed the LIRR to keep rolling without making the sorts of changes that businesses or even government........

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