Commuter Alert: LIRR Schedule Changes Take Effect Today At Penn Station

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Some Long Island Rail Road schedule changes start today at Penn Station.

They're part of Amtrak's critical track repairs.

• Track 14 will be out of service for construction.
• Four morning rush-hour trains into Penn Station and three evening trains out of the station will be diverted to either Atlantic Terminal or Jamaica.
• Another morning rush train and two evening trains will be combined after cancellations.

All of the changes are expected last until March 8.

Click here for more details from the LIRR.

Babylon Branch

• • The 12:50 AM overnight train from Babylon to Penn Station will depart 10 minutes later at 1:00 AM, and due to customer requests, will add stops at Lynbrook (1:39 AM) and Woodside (2:04 AM), arriving Penn Station at 2:15 AM.
  • The 5:43 AM train from Freeport, stopping at Baldwin (5:46 AM), Rockville Centre (5:49 AM), Jamaica (6:06 AM), and arriving Penn Station at 6:24 AM (originally added as an extra train) will continue to operate as part of our regular weekday schedule.
  • The 6:56 AM train from Wantagh, stopping at Bellmore, Merrick, then arriving at Penn Station at 7:43 AM, will be rerouted to Atlantic Terminal (arriving at 7:45 AM), with an added stop at Jamaica for connecting service.
  • The 7:44 AM train from Merrick, stopping at Freeport, Baldwin and Penn Station, will depart three minutes earlier at 7:41 AM, and will terminate at Jamaica, where customers can board connecting trains to points west.
  • The 8:03 AM local train from Babylon to Penn Station will add a stop at Forest Hills (8:58 AM) to accommodate customers who normally take a train that's being diverted.
  • The 8:25 AM train from Freeport, stopping at Baldwin, Rockville Centre, Jamaica and Penn Station, will be rerouted to Atlantic Terminal (arriving at 9:07 AM).
  • The 5:36 PM train from Penn Station to Babylon will add stops at Forest Hills (5:51 PM), Kew Gardens (5:53 PM), and Jamaica (6:01 PM) to accommodate customers impacted by the cancellation of another train.
  • The 5:45 PM train from Atlantic Terminal to Babylon will depart two minutes earlier at 5:43 PM.
  • An extra PM Peak train will depart Hunterspoint Avenue at 7:02 PM, stopping at Jamaica, Rockville Centre, Baldwin and Freeport (arriving at 7:42 PM).
  • The 5:35 PM westbound train from Babylon to Penn Station will make added stops at Forest Hills and Kew Gardens to accommodate customers who normally take a train that's being diverted.

Far Rockaway Branch

• • Two cars will be added to the 5:54 AM train from Far Rockaway to Penn Station.
  • The 8:10 AM train from Far Rockaway to Penn Station will be canceled. Two cars will be added to the next scheduled train to Penn Station, departing Far Rockaway at 8:21 AM, or consider the 7:49 AM train from Far Rockaway.
  • The 5:32 PM train from Penn Station, due at Far Rockaway at 6:24 PM, will instead originate at Jamaica at 5:52 PM. Customers at Penn Station can take the 5:24 PM train to Freeport and change at Jamaica for connecting service. 
  • The 5:53 PM train from Far Rockaway to Penn Station will be rerouted to Atlantic Terminal instead of Penn Station.  Customers can transfer at Jamaica for connecting service to Penn.

Hempstead Branch

• • The 5:38 PM train from Penn Station, due at Hempstead at 6:36 PM, will instead originate from Atlantic Terminal at 5:46 PM. Customers at Penn Station can take the 5:33 PM train to Cold Spring Harbor and change at Jamaica for connecting service to Hempstead.
  • The 7:05 PM train from Penn Station, due at Hempstead at 7:56 PM, will instead originate from Atlantic Terminal at 7:09 PM. Customers at Penn Station can take the 7:08 PM train to Babylon and change at Jamaica for connecting service to Hempstead.

Long Beach Branch

• • The 7:56 AM train from Long Beach to Atlantic Terminal will not stop at East New York or Nostrand Avenue. Customers can transfer at Jamaica for connecting service to East New York and Nostrand Avenue.
  • The 8:03 AM train from Long Beach to Penn Station will be rerouted to Atlantic Terminal (arriving at 8:54 AM), with an added stop at Jamaica for connecting service.
  • The 10:57 PM train from Long Beach to Penn Station will add a Woodside stop (11:43PM) as the result of a customer request.

Port Jefferson Branch

• • The 5:06 PM express from Penn Station, stopping at Syosset, Cold Spring Harbor and Huntington, will be canceled and combined with the 5:17 PM train from Penn Station, which runs express to Westbury, then stops at Hicksville, Syosset, Cold Spring Harbor and Huntington.
  • The 5:33 PM train from Penn Station to Hicksville will be extended, with added stops at Syosset (6:41 PM) and Cold Spring Harbor (6:46 PM).

Port Washington Branch

• • An extra train to Great Neck will depart Penn Station at 3:40 PM, stopping at Woodside, then making all local stops to Great Neck (arriving at 4:15 PM).
  • The 5:50 PM train from Penn Station, due at Great Neck at 6:19 PM, will be canceled and combined with the 5:56 PM train to Great Neck (arriving at 6:32 PM).  Four cars will be added to the 5:56 PM train.
  • The 6:44 PM westbound train from Great Neck to Penn Station will depart 3 minutes later at 6:47 PM, and arrive in Penn Station 1 minute later than usual.

Ronkonkoma Branch

Several AM Peak trains on the Ronkonkoma Branch will be restored to their prior schedule east of Hicksville following the end of speed restrictions in areas prone to slippery rail/low-adhesion conditions. The affected trains are:  

• • The 5:12 AM train from Farmingdale, stopping at Bethpage (5:16 AM), Hicksville (5:22 AM), Mineola (5:30 AM), New Hyde Park (5:33 AM), Jamaica (5:46 AM), and arriving at Penn Station at 6:05 AM (originally added as an extra train) will continue to operate as part of our regular weekday schedule.
  • The 5:19 AM train from Greenport to Ronkonkoma will depart 11 minutes later at 5:30 AM and will arrive in Ronkonkoma at 6:53 AM.
  • The 6:48 AM train from Ronkonkoma will depart 8 minutes later at 6:56 AM, also departing later from stations through Bethpage.
  • The 6:55 AM train from Ronkonkoma will depart 9 minutes later at 7:04 AM, also departing later from stations through Bethpage.
  • The 7:21 AM train from Ronkonkoma will depart 2 minutes earlier at 7:19 AM, also departing earlier from stations Central Islip and Brentwood.
  • The 7:29 AM train from Ronkonkoma will depart 3 minutes later at 7:32 AM, also departing later from stations through Farmingdale.
  • The 7:50 AM  train from Farmingdale will depart 1 minute later at 7:51 AM, also departing later from Bethpage Station.
  • The 7:57 AM train from Ronkonkoma to Penn Station will add a stop at Kew Gardens (9:00 AM) to accommodate customers who normally take a train that's being canceled.
  • An extra train to Ronkonkoma will depart Penn Station at 1:30 PM, stopping at Woodside, Jamaica, Mineola, Hicksville, Bethpage, then local stops to Ronkonkoma (arriving at 2:50 PM).

West Hempstead Branch

• • The 7:36 AM train from West Hempstead to Penn Station will be departing 2 minutes earlier at 7:34 AM.

Other Temporary Schedule Adjustments starting January 6:

Huntington/Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma Branches – During midday off-peak hours, during overnights and on weekends, one of two tracks along the Main Line between New Hyde Park and Hicksville will be out of service to allow for work on the LIRR Expansion Project. Some Huntington trains will depart 11-19 minutes later. Some Ronkonkoma Branch will depart up to 18 minutes earlier or 30 minutes later than usual.

Babylon, Far Rockaway, Long Beach, Montauk and West Hempstead branches - To allow for Lynbrook Station Improvements being made in coordination with post-Superstorm Sandy Long Beach Branch infrastructure restoration and resiliency work, one of two tracks will be out of service during weekday middays between Valley Stream and Long Beach and between Valley Stream and Rockville Centre. As a result of this work, departure times for some the weekday midday trains on the Babylon, Far Rockaway, Long Beach, Montauk and West Hempstead branches will be adjusted between 1 minute and 14 minutes.

In:
• Amtrak
• Penn Station
• New York