New LIRR Timetables Go Into Effect May 16th
Just the other day, the MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) announced that new timetables will take effect Monday May 16th including some service enhancements & restorations. Here are the complete details courtesy of a press release:
New MTA Long Island Rail Road timetables go into effect Monday, May 16 continuing through September 11 and bringing with it schedule adjustments on a number of branches as the Railroad’s annual warm weather maintenance program moves into high gear.
As always, the bulk of the work is scheduled for off-peak periods, such as midday during the week and on weekends, to minimize the impact on most LIRR customers who used the Railroad to get to work in the morning and back home at night.
This spring and summer, those projects include the installation of new railroad ties on the Main Line and Far Rockaway branches, the replacement of third rail and the painting of a bridge on the Port Washington branch, the resurfacing of switches on the Main Line and Atlantic branches and the installation new running rail on the Babylon branch.
The seasonal projects will be carried out as work continues on longer-term programs, including the East Side Access project that will bring LIRR customers to Grand Central Terminal, the renewal of Harold Interlocking in Sunnyside, Queens and the ongoing repair of the Atlantic Avenue Viaduct in Brooklyn. Waterproofing work will also be performed on the Queens Blvd. Bridge on weekends.
The new timetables also include several service enhancements the LIRR was able to implement within current budget constraints, including the restoration of service to Belmont Park, the home of thoroughbred racing, during the Spring-Summer by partnering with The New York Racing Association (NYRA). For details on Belmont service, customers should pick up a copy of the special Belmont timetable at terminals and local stations or access schedule information on the LIRR website at www.mta.info/lirr.
Other enhancements include:
Addition of a Hicksville stop (at 6:19 AM) to the schedule of the westbound 5:42 AM peak train from Ronkonkoma, allowing customers to transfer for local service west of Hicksville station.
Addition of Carle Place (2:00 AM), Merillon Ave. (2:05AM) and New Hyde Park (2:08 AM) stops to the 1:36 AM westbound train from Huntington.
A new connection for Atlantic Terminal is available for a Hempstead and a Babylon train at Jamaica at 4:42 AM, arriving at Atlantic Terminal at 4:49 AM.
A St. Albans stop is being added back to the 8:09 AM train from Penn Station at the request of employees at the St. Albans VA Hospital who needed to arrive at work prior to 9 AM. The train will stop at St. Albans at 8:35 AM.
Schedule Adjustments for Track Maintenance:
Customers using the LIRR on the branches affected by the maintenance and repair work should allow extra travel time when planning a trip. The new LIRR timetable that takes effect on Monday, May 16 and runs through September 11, 2011, includes schedule changes on the following branches:
Huntington/Port Jefferson, Oyster Bay, Montauk, Main Line Branches:
Midday weekdays and early Saturday mornings one of the two tracks will be out of service between Merillon Ave. and Carle Place to support the replacement of track ties and a switch surfacing program. Train times on Montauk, Oyster Bay, Huntington and Port Jefferson branch trains have been adjusted up to 13 minutes to accommodate this work.Far Rockaway, Hempstead, Long Beach Branches:
Midday weekdays one of two tracks will be out of service between Valley Stream and Far Rockaway for the installation of new railroad ties. Eastbound Far Rockaway trains will depart 30 minutes later and eastbound Hempstead trains have also been adjusted to operate 30 minutes later. Eastbound Long Beach trains will depart 32 minutes later.
Babylon Branch:
Midday weekdays one of two tracks will be out of service between Amityville and Babylon to allow for the installation of new continuous welded rail. Two local trains will operate in each direction each hour. Service is reduced to hourly at Amityville, Copiague and Lindenhurst stations during midday periods. Express trains are canceled and the Montauk Branch midday connections at Babylon will depart 5-9 minutes earlier to accommodate these changes.
Port Washington Branch:
Midday weekdays one of two tracks will be out of service between Bayside and east of Woodside to allow for third rail replacement and bridge painting. This work is not expected to affect train service on the Port Washington Branch.
Atlantic Branch To Brooklyn:
Overnight weekdays one of two main tracks will be out of service between East New York and Jamaica for switch resurfacing. Some eastbound evening trains are adjusted 2-3 minutes earlier to accommodate this work.
Schedules Restored following Completion of Track Work:
LIRR customers are also advised that the tie replacement work on the Main Line, Babylon and Montauk branches that had caused timetable changes between March 7 and May 15 has been completed and the schedules have been restored to their normal times at all affected stations.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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