The long island economy is split between well paid public servants, NYC commuters, and the circular economy of driveway contractors and tile contractors in an arms race for the nicest walking surface.

There are no other jobs on the island that pay decently. Cutting edge engineering work will make you half of what it will in either the DC or Boston areas.

The conductors are highly paid in part because it's the local custom, and part because a third of the economy would collapse if that train stops running.

Automating trains would let LIRR run trains more often because they aren’t having to pay 2-3x median income for someone who does little on each train

It would be better for society to pay these people to do nothing while we run more trains automatically.

All US passenger rail runs off of massive state subsidies. The absurd pay is the taxpayers money.