LIRR moving some trains from Grand Central Madison to Penn Station in response to commuter complaints
NEW YORK -- More changes are on the way to try to fix the problems Long Island Rail Road riders are facing.
It's now been a week and a half since the Grand Central Madison terminal fully opened, bringing with it schedule changes, crowding and commuter chaos.
Monday, some of the trains currently going to and from Grand Central Madison will be switched to and from Penn Station. That's in response to a slew of complaints from commuters.
"Very chaotic for me," LIRR rider Kenneth Kramer said.
"I'm adapting. It's not gonna get better. You just gotta go with it," LIRR rider Dorothy Ewald said.
When asked if it's gotten any better, one rider said, "Not really. Not yet. Maybe next week."
READ MORE: LIRR commuters frustrated with new schedule changes: "It's absolutely terrible"
The LIRR says two morning trains currently arriving at Grand Central Madison -- trains 2013 and 827 -- will soon start arriving at Penn Station instead.
They're also switching the number 268 evening train to now depart from Penn Station, and train 714 will now leave from Penn in the morning instead of Grand Central.
Watch: MTA, LIRR officials give update on service changes
There are also plans to add stops on several trains to try to alleviate the hectic transfers we've reported on at Jamaica Station.
"That would be helpful. More people need to go to Penn, it seems, than Grand Central, so that's where the trains probably need to go," Ewald said.
"It's been better every day than the day before," LIRR Interim President Catherine Rinaldi said.
The LIRR says despite the challenges, the number of peak hour trains has more than doubled with the changes.
"If there's more service, then why are the trains still so crowded in the mornings and the evenings?" CBS2's Tim McNicholas asked.
"I think that there's assumptions with respect to how many people will ultimately come [to Grand Central Madison] as opposed to going to Penn, and you know, that's still taking shape, and that's why we're trying to respond and be as nimble as we can be with respect to directing cars to where the people are," Rinaldi said.
Rinaldi acknowledged Thursday that ridership under the new schedules has been higher than expected. The Rail Road says Tuesday of this week was their second highest ridership day since the pandemic started.
Beginning on Monday, March 13, the following service changes will be implemented:
Morning – Peak Direction
- The 5:42 a.m. train from Ronkonkoma to Grand Central Madison will shift to operate to Penn Station, where it will be scheduled to arrive at 6:55 a.m.
- The 7:54 a.m. train from Long Beach to Grand Central Madison will shift to operate to Penn Station, where it will be scheduled to arrive at 8:44 a.m.
Morning – Reverse-Peak Direction
- The 7:31 a.m. train from Grand Central Madison to Hempstead will shift to originate at Penn Station at 7:30 a.m.
Afternoon – Peak Direction
- The 5:28 p.m. train from Grand Central Madison to Babylon will shift to originate at Penn Station at 5:28 p.m.
Four trains with added stops:
Four trains that currently originate at Brentwood will be extended to originate at Ronkonkoma, and will also stop at Central Islip.
- The 5:16 a.m. train from Brentwood to Penn station will now have added Ronkonkoma and Central Islip stops leaving Ronkonkoma at 5:06 a.m.
- The 5:48 a.m. train from Brentwood to Penn station will now have added Ronkonkoma and Central Islip stops leaving Ronkonkoma at 5:38 a.m.
- The 6:03 a.m. train from Brentwood to Penn station will now have added Ronkonkoma and Central Islip stops leaving Ronkonkoma at 5:53 a.m.
- The 7:57 a.m. train from Brentwood to Penn station will now have added Ronkonkoma and Central Islip stops leaving Ronkonkoma at 7:47 a.m.