New MTA LIRR Schedules Start May 17th
Just a short time ago, the MTA Long Island Rail Road sent me a major press release to announce that new schedules will start May 17th. These new schedules are significant as they not only contain adjustments due to planned construction but service cuts as well due to their budget woes. Here are the complete details:
LIRR customers are advised to pay special attention to the new May 17, 2010 schedules as they include train cancellations and other adjustments related to budget reductions. Additional timetable changes are necessary to accommodate spring and summer track work and construction projects.
The service reductions included in the May 17 timetable change were required to address the MTA’s nearly $800 million budget shortfall for 2010. The LIRR developed reductions that will improve efficiency while attempting to minimize the adverse impact to customers. Further budget-related service reductions are scheduled to take effect in mid-September. A news release detailing those changes will be issued later this year.
These service reductions were proposed in December 2009. After a series of public hearings were held in early March 2010 on the proposed changes, the MTA Board approved the service reductions on March 24.
Babylon Branch:
• The 7:40 AM train from Seaford to Atlantic Terminal, Brooklyn will be canceled. To accommodate customers from this train, the 7:33 AM train from Babylon to Atlantic Terminal will depart four minutes earlier at 7:29 AM, and stops will be added at Wantagh, Bellmore, Merrick, Freeport, Baldwin and Rockville Centre.
• The 4:39 PM train from Atlantic Terminal, Brooklyn to Babylon will be canceled. To accommodate customers, the 4:37 PM express train from Penn Station to Wantagh will have added stops at Jamaica, Lynbrook, Seaford, Massapequa and all stops to Babylon. Brooklyn customers can take the 4:34 PM train from Atlantic Terminal and change at Jamaica.
• The 4:57 PM train from Penn Station to Wantagh will be canceled. Customers can take the 5:03 PM train from Penn Station with added stops at Merrick, Bellmore and Wantagh.
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Long Beach Branch:
• The 5:40 PM train from Atlantic Terminal to Long Beach will be canceled. To accommodate customers, the 5:55 PM express train from Penn Station to Long Beach will have a Jamaica stop added. Brooklyn customers can connect with this train by taking the 5:49 PM departure from Atlantic Terminal and changing at Jamaica.
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Oyster Bay Branch:
• The 4:54 PM peak train from Long Island City to Oyster Bay will leave 10 minutes earlier at 4:44 PM and add a Hunterspoint Avenue stop at 4:59 PM.
• The weekend 1:35 AM train from Jamaica to Oyster Bay is canceled. Customers can take the earlier 11:45 PM train.
• The weekend 7:20 AM train from Oyster Bay to Jamaica is canceled. Customers can take a train an hour earlier at 6:20 AM or later at 8:20 AM.
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Port Jefferson Branch:
• The 5:11 PM train from Hunterspoint Avenue will be partially canceled. It will instead originate in Huntington at 6:15 PM. Customers can connect with this train by taking a new 4:59 PM departure from Hunterspoint Avenue, and the 5:06 PM train from Penn Station to Huntington, which will have added Jamaica and Mineola stops. The new 4:59 PM departure is available by
re-scheduling the 4:54 PM peak train from Long Island City to Oyster Bay to leave 10 minutes earlier at 4:44 PM and adding a Hunterspoint Avenue stop at 4:59 PM.• The 4:05 PM westbound train from Port Jefferson to Jamaica will now terminate in Huntington, where customers can connect with train service to western terminals.
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Port Washington Branch:
• The 4:43 PM train from Penn Station to Port Washington will be canceled. Customers can instead take the 4:22 PM train from Penn Station. Later options include the 4:46 PM train for those heading to Great Neck. Customers traveling to stations Manhasset, Plandome and Port Washington can take the 5:11 PM departure from Penn Station.
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Belmont Racetrack:
• The LIRR is no longer providing daily service to Belmont Park during racing season. Racing fans traveling to Belmont Park can take the LIRR to Queens Village Station and connect to the free shuttle bus provided by NYRA. Racing fans can also take the LIRR to Queens Village, then take the Q27 bus and transfer to the Q2 at Springfield Blvd. & Hempstead Ave. to Belmont; or take the E train to Parsons Blvd. and transfer to the Q110 bus to Belmont.
• Special LIRR train service will be provided to Belmont Park on Friday, June 4 and Saturday, June 5 – the day of the Belmont Stakes.
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Track Work & Construction Programs:
Port Washington Branch:
With the completion of track tie replacement work between Woodside and Bayside, half-hourly midday service has been restored on weekdays. Departure time will be moved 10 minutes earlier to accommodate track work between Bayside and Great Neck. However, beginning September 13, 2010 as part of the service reductions being implemented for the 2010 budget, the half-hourly weekday off-peak and weekend Port Washington branch service will be reduced to hourly service.
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Babylon Branch:
One of two tracks will be out of service between Valley Stream and Wantagh during midday weekdays as a track tie replacement program gets underway. One Babylon local train will operate in each direction each hour. The second local train will originate and terminate in Freeport every other hour. Express service to and from Babylon has been increased to hourly with added stops at Merrick, Bellmore, Wantagh and Massapequa.
Train departure times will be adjusted between two and 22 minutes. The work on this stretch of track will continue until September 10. Additional work, and its associated affect on midday service, will be performed on another stretch of track on the Babylon Branch beginning with schedules that take effect September 13, 2010.
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Brooklyn:
During the overnight period, one of two tracks will be out of service for track work. This requires later departure and arrival times (up to 8 minutes later) for three overnight trains.
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Ronkonkoma Branch (east of Ronkonkoma):
The single track between Ronkonkoma and Greenport will be out of service midday on weekdays May 17-21 to accommodate a grade crossing modernization project at Horton’s Lane in Southold. While the work takes place, buses will replace two eastbound midday trains and two westbound midday trains.
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Port Jefferson Branch:
Some midday weekday trains will depart seven minutes earlier or three minutes later due to a track work program between Hicksville and Cold Spring Harbor.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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