When thousands of Long Island Rail Road riders rumble through the East River Tunnel on their way into Penn Station each morning, they can't see the corroding steel, cracking concrete, dripping water, missing sections of bench wall, or exposed wires.

If they could, the resulting cries of alarm would force an end to the debate over how to repair the aging tunnel and a quick start to the fixes.

In the early morning hours one day last week, I descended into one of the tunnel's four tubes, known as Line 2, which had been powered down and closed to train traffic overnight. Alongside other journalists, I climbed aboard a small flatbed work train that traversed the narrow track and stopped at points along the way.

I saw the cracks and corrosion, heard the water steadily falling onto the track and electrified third rail, and held a piece of broken and badly weathered steel that fell off the tunnel wall with just the slightest touch. As we traveled through the dark, tight tube and its complex network of piping, tracks, wires and high-voltage cables, the complexity of the necessary repairs and upgrades became clear.

The East River Tunnel opened in September 1910 — nearly 115 years ago. Its age alone has led to deterioration and difficulty. But nearly 13 years ago, Superstorm Sandy flooded two tubes, including Line 2. Even after the waters receded, the damage was done. The saltwater intrusion has since led to repeated power failures, broken rails, fallen concrete, water damage, track fires and more.

In leading the early morning tour, Amtrak, which owns the tunnel, was trying to make a point: The tunnel is in bad shape, fixes must start now, and the only way to properly upgrade it so it'll last another 100 years is by closing one tube at a time — for a total of about three years. That could start as soon as Friday.

The early morning ride might have been a stunt. But in this case, seeing is believing. I no longer need to write that "Amtrak says the tunnels are in desperate need of repair." I could see it for myself. 

Nonetheless, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the LIRR are trying to tell a different story. LIRR President Robert Free likened the Amtrak tour to a car salesman who "pulls at your heartstrings." He'd rather a tube close for repairs nights and weekends. He says some of Amtrak's planned work is unnecessary and that lengthy closures could disrupt LIRR service if there's a problem in one of the remaining tubes.

In a recent interview, Free said he couldn't remember the last time he had been inside the East River Tunnel and seen the damage for himself. Does he have tunnel vision?

My own tunnel visit made clear that this isn't a job easily done in brief spurts — and that such a piecemeal strategy could be worse than a full closure, especially if Amtrak isn't finished on time each day for the morning rush. 

The MTA and the LIRR have known of Amtrak's plans for years — and signed off on them. The broader finger-pointing between Amtrak and the MTA isn't new, either; it's happened before with the tunnels, Penn Station and Grand Central Madison. Time and again, these massive agencies, which together are responsible for a vast transportation network critical to the economy of the region and the nation, devolve into a kindergarten-esque blame game.

This time, the stakes are too high. Just take a look.

Columnist Randi F. Marshall's opinions are her own.