New LIRR Timetables Begin Today

Long Island Rail Road riders please be reminded that new timetables begin today. A few days ago the agency sent out a press release with more information on the new timetables which include the 2nd phase of service cuts:

New LIRR timetables in effect September 13, 2010 will contain schedule adjustments for some trains as well as the elimination of other trains. The new schedules implement the second phase of budget-related cuts in LIRR service that were approved by the MTA Board in March.

These service reductions along with those implemented last May 17 were required as part of the effort to close the MTA’s $900-million budget gap. The service reductions will save approximately $950,000 this year and $3.8-million annually starting in 2011.

However, the LIRR will be monitoring the changes in the new timetable and will make schedule adjustments, as necessary, based on additional ridership and possible crowding on trains.

Additional timetable changes are necessary to accommodate the fall track work and construction program.

Service Reductions (budget-related)

Atlantic Terminal:

Overnight service is eliminated between Atlantic Terminal and Jamaica. On weeknights and weekends, train service to/from Brooklyn will be available until approximately midnight and resume around 5:30 AM. The last eastbound train on weekdays will be the 11:55 PM from Atlantic Terminal; the first westbound train weekday mornings will be the 5:33 PM from Jamaica, arriving Atlantic Terminal at 5:51 AM.

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Long Beach Branch:

The 6:09 AM train to Atlantic Terminal has been cancelled. Service is available at 5:35 AM or 6:37 AM.

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Far Rockaway Branch:

The morning peak train departing Valley Stream at 6:30 AM, Rosedale at 6:33 AM, Laurelton at 6:36 AM & Locust Manor at 6:38 AM is canceled.

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Montauk Branch:

Starting Monday, September 13, the 4:30 PM train from Hunterspoint Avenue to Montauk will only operate on Fridays through October. After Friday, October 8, the train will be taken out of the schedule, and brought back in May 2011 as a seasonal, Friday-only train. An Amagansett stop has been added to the 4:06 PM train from Hunterspoint Avenue in order to close a gap in service.

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Port Washington Branch:

Midday weekday service and all weekend service is reduced from every half-hour to every hour. On weekdays there are 14 trains removed from the schedule with stops added to the remaining trains where needed, to provide service to all stations each hour. On weekends 32 trains are removed from the schedule.

After carefully examining the expected impact on customer demand and usage associated with the implementation of the hourly service during the midday weekday hours, the LIRR has decided to restore the 4:43 PM peak hour train from Penn Station to Port Washington so that the departures from Penn Station in the 4:15 PM to 5:15 PM hour will be as follows:

4:22 PM to Port Washington

4:25 PM to Great Neck

4:43 PM to Port Washington

4:46 PM to Great Neck

5:11 PM to Port Washington.

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Ronkonkoma Branch:

The 4:34 PM train to Ronkonkoma from Atlantic Terminal is canceled. The 4:24 PM Penn Station-Ronkonkoma train will have an added stop at Jamaica and the 4:31 PM Penn Station-Huntington train will have added stops at New Hyde Park, Merillon Avenue, Mineola, Carle Place and Westbury to accommodate affected customers.

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Main Line-Greenport:

Weekend service will only be available from Memorial Day Weekend through Columbus Day Weekend. As a result, weekend service will not be available starting October 16, 2010 until the Memorial Day Weekend.

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West Hempstead Branch:

Weekend service is eliminated starting the weekend of September 18 & 19. Alternate weekend service is available at Valley Stream, or at Babylon or Hempstead Branch stations.

The 8:28 AM peak train to Atlantic Terminal has been canceled and other departure times of AM peak trains have been altered to provide more evenly spaced morning service with an AM schedule as follows:

5:37 AM

6:53 AM

7:36 AM

8:07 AM

8:54 AM

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Jury Duty Special:

Starting September 13, the “Jury Duty Special” train will begin operating on the Main Line/Ronkonkoma Branch to get Suffolk jurors to Riverhead before 9 AM every day the courts are in session.

The train will depart from Deer Park at 7:54 AM, making stops at Brentwood (7:59 AM), Central Islip (8:03 AM), Ronkonkoma (8:10 AM), Medford (8:21 AM), Yaphank (8:29 AM) and arriving in Riverhead at 8:55 AM, where a free shuttle bus will take jurors to nearby courthouses.

The process is reversed in the afternoon, with trains leaving Riverhead Station at 1:21 PM and 3:58 PM. More than 30,000 Suffolk County residents are summoned to serve on juries in Riverhead every year.

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Construction/Track Work Projects

Babylon Branch (also affecting Port Jefferson, Oyster Bay, Montauk trains):

Midday weekdays, one of two main tracks between Freeport and Amityville will be out of service for a track tie replacement program. One local train will operate in each direction each hour. The second Babylon local train will originate and terminate in Freeport and have added stops at Lynbrook and St. Albans each hour.

Semi-express service will remain hourly with added stops at Amityville, Copiague and Lindenhurst and no stops at Freeport and Massapequa. Train times will be adjusted up to 31 minutes later. There will also be some minor schedule adjustments for connecting trains at Jamaica for some Port Jefferson/Huntington, Oyster Bay, and Montauk Branch trains.

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Far Rockaway Branch (also affecting Hempstead, Huntington, Long Beach trains):

Midday weekdays, one of two main tracks between Valley Stream and Far Rockaway will be out of service for a track tie replacement program.

Eastbound Far Rockaway trains will operate 30 minutes later and eastbound Hempstead Branch trains (connecting at Jamaica) will also operate 30 minutes later. Eastbound Long Beach trains will operate 35 minutes later. Some midday eastbound Huntington trains will operate three minutes later.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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