More Long Island Rail Road service changes coming amid rider frustration
NEW YORK -- The Long Island Rail Road is getting ready for another round of service changes after new schedules went into effect Monday.
Last week, the LIRR took heat from riders when it rolled out a new schedule to accommodate service to Grand Central Madison.
"I work in the area so not going to Penn, not having to take the train, not having to walk to the area has been a big benefit," said Manish Amin, from Garden City.
Since the new East Side terminal fully opened, there have been issues with the schedule and overcrowding.
"It's definitely added some congestion," said Danielle Reece, from East Meadow.
READ MORE: LIRR commuters frustrated with new schedule changes: "It's absolutely terrible"
Starting next week, the 5:42 a.m. train from Ronkonkoma and the 7:54 a.m. from Long Beach will take commuters to Penn Station instead of Grand Central Madison.
"I think it's wise. There's probably more people that commute to Penn than Grand Central anyways," said Meghan Whalen, from Long Beach.
Two trains currently departing from Grand Central Madison, the 7:31 a.m. to Hempstead and 5:28 p.m. to Babylon, will now leave from Penn Station.
The LIRR is also adding stops at Ronkonkoma and Central Islip to four morning trains from Brentwood.
These latest changes come after the LIRR responded to commuter complaints by adding cars to their busiest trains and adding a train between Jamaica Station and Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn.
The goal is to alleviate hectic transfers at Jamaica.
"I appreciate and I'm sure other riders appreciate that effort," said Reece.
Despite the challenges, the number of peak hour trains has more than doubled with the changes, according to the LIRR.
"I think that there's assumptions with respect to how many people will ultimately come here 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," said Interim LIRR President Catherine Rinaldi.
MTA officials acknowledged ridership under the new schedules has been higher than expected. Tuesday was the highest day of ridership since the beginning of the pandemic, officials said.