MTA Long Island Rail Road today announced that crews will complete the replacement of the switches east of Syosset over the weekends of August 10-11 and 17-18.  These devices allow the railroad to safely switch trains from one track to another between Huntington and Hicksville.  The new switches will improve safety and service reliability and keep the LIRR system in a state of good repair.

To allow the work to proceed, both tracks between Hicksville and Huntington will be taken out of service for just over 12 hours on Saturday, from 2:15 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., and one of two tracks between Hicksville and Huntington will remain out of service for the rest of the weekend.

As a result, buses will substitute for trains between Hicksville and Huntington from 2:15 a.m. through 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Weekend service to/from Syosset, Cold Spring Harbor and Huntington will operate hourly instead of every 30 minutes on Saturday and Sunday, and service between Huntington and Port Jefferson will be reduced from every 90 minutes to every two hours. 

Service is affected as follows:

Saturdays, August 10 & 17, from 2:15 a.m. through 2:30 p.m.:

Buses substitute for morning/midday trains between Huntington, Cold Spring Harbor, Syosset & Hicksville.

Saturday (Other Times) and Sundays:

• Huntington, Cold Spring Harbor & Syosset: Weekend service at these stations will be reduced from half-hourly to hourly.
• Port Jefferson – Huntington: Weekend train service between Port Jefferson and Huntington will operate every two hours instead of every 90 minutes.

A complete special timetable covering these two days can be found at this link:

http://web.mta.info/lirr/Timetable/SpecialTT/07-27&28%20-%2008-03&04%20-%20AMOTT%20SWITCH%20%20-%20GO%20502.pdf

Many Ways to Stay Connected

Information about the planned schedule changes noted in this press release, and all planned service changes, is available through the LIRR’s real-time service information sources.

myLIRR.org - Customers can see real-time positions of upcoming trains in real time, on a smartphone-optimized map that refreshes every 3- to 5-seconds, by logging into myLIRR.org, which is optimized for smartphone screens.

MYmta app & MTA.info – Customers who use the new, comprehensive MYmta app will see real-time travel information for the LIRR and connecting services all in one place, with push notifications when service is not operating normally. As a caution, trains that start out their trips on time may experience delays en route. The LIRR Train Time app also remains available for customers to access LIRR train information. The rail tab of the “Service Status” box at new.MTA.info is always the definitive source for the latest status for each branch, updated every minute.

Email and text message service updates – Customers are urged to sign up to receive the alerts by visiting MyMTAAlerts.com. To avoid unwanted messages, a user can tailor the messages to the specific branch, and the specific times of day.

@LIRR on Twitter – Twitter users can follow @LIRR to receive updates of a similar nature to the email and text alerts, shortened to fit Twitter’s format.

The above communications channels can be accessed while at home or on the go. For customers who are located at stations, the LIRR will post the latest service updates on digital signs at station platforms and will make audio announcements over public address systems, and on-board announcements made by train crews.

For those who prefer the telephone, information is available from the LIRR’s Customer Service Center by calling 511, the New York State Travel Information Line, and saying: “Long Island Rail Road.” Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can use their preferred service provider for the free 711 relay to reach the LIRR at 511.