August 10, 2018

Service Advisory: LIRR Double Track Construction Enters Final Weeks, Leading to Increased Reliability, Service on Ronkonkoma Branch

New Weekday Timetable Will Be in Effect For the Ronkonkoma Branch From August 13 through 31 As the Double Track Project Nears Completion

Construction on the Long Island Rail Road's crucial Double Track Project along the Ronkonkoma Branch in Suffolk County is in its final weeks this August, and will require some temporary weekday peak and off-peak service adjustments on weekdays starting Monday, August 13, through Friday, August 31, 2018, on the Ronkonkoma Branch. Please see specifics via this link, or view them below.

The highly anticipated Double Track Project, a vital component to expanding LIRR service in Suffolk County while bolstering the region’s economy, will improve service and reliability on the LIRR’s Ronkonkoma Branch, as well as for service to Long Island MacArthur Airport. Over the past 25 years, ridership on the Ronkonkoma Branch has doubled -- growing in popularity since the line was electrified in 1988 – indicating the need for expansion.
 
Construction crews continue to work around-the-clock on the Double Track Project, which is expected to be completed this summer. This addition will aid in reducing delays in the event of a service disruption, as the majority of the 18-mile stretch between Ronkonkoma and Farmingdale currently only has one track available to both directions of train traffic. When an issue arises with a train, this stalls all other east and westbound trains because there is currently no way to circumnavigate the stalled train.
 
Ronkonkoma Branch
 
The new timetable, in effect on weekdays (Mondays through Fridays) on the Ronkonkoma Branch from August 13-31, 2018, can be found here. Details on train adjustments are as follows:
 
Westbound
  • On Monday mornings, the 12:44 AM and 1:45 AM westbound trains from Ronkonkoma will be replaced by buses departing up to 45 minutes earlier than normal train times. Customers at stations Ronkonkoma through Bethpage will board buses to Hicksville, then transfer to trains.
  • Tuesdays through Fridays, the 12:44 AM train from Ronkonkoma to Penn Station will depart one minute earlier at 12:43 AM and one minute earlier at stations Central Islip through Farmingdale (Central Islip 12:50 AM, Brentwood 12:54 AM, Deer Park 12:57 AM, Wyandanch 1:03 AM, Farmingdale 1:09 AM).
  • Tuesdays through Fridays, the 1:45 AM train from Ronkonkoma to Penn Station will depart two minutes earlier at 1:43 AM. This train will also depart two minutes earlier at stations Central Islip through Farmingdale and one minute earlier at Bethpage (Central Islip 1:50 AM, Brentwood 1:54 AM, Deer Park 1:58 AM, Wyandanch 2:03 AM, Farmingdale 2:09 AM, Bethpage 2:15 AM).
  • The 5:29 AM peak train from Ronkonkoma will depart two minutes earlier at all stops through Wyandanch (Ronkonkoma 5:27 AM; Central Islip 5:33 AM; Brentwood 5:37 AM; Deer Park 5:42 AM; Wyandanch 5:47 AM), arriving Penn Station at 6:38 AM.
  • The 6:24 AM peak train from Ronkonkoma will continue to depart at 6:22 AM, two minutes earlier than usual.
  • The 6:54 AM peak train from Central Islip will continue to originate from Ronkonkoma at 6:45 AM. It will also depart two minutes earlier than usual at stations Central Islip through Wyandanch (Central Islip 6:52, Brentwood 6:56, Deer Park 7:01, Wyandanch 7:06AM). It will also make an added stop at Farmingdale at 7:12 AM, arriving Penn Station at 8:06 AM.
  • The 7:04 AM peak train from Ronkonkoma will instead originate at Brentwood at 7:15 AM, with added stops at Jamaica and Kew Gardens. Customers who normally board this train in Ronkonkoma can take alternate trains departing 8 minutes earlier at 6:56 AM or 13 minutes later at 7:17 AM.
  • The 7:19 AM peak train from Ronkonkoma will continue to depart two minutes earlier at all stops through Brentwood (Ronkonkoma 7:17 AM; Central Islip 7:24 AM; Brentwood 7:28 AM), arriving Penn Station at 8:26 AM.
  • The 9:41 AM train from Ronkonkoma will depart at 9:40 AM, one minute earlier than usual.
  • The 10:41 AM train from Ronkonkoma will depart at 10:40 AM, one minute earlier than usual. It will also depart Farmingdale at 11:08 AM, one minute earlier than usual.
  • The 11:41 AM train from Ronkonkoma will depart at 11:40 AM, one minute earlier than usual.
  • The 12:41 PM train from Ronkonkoma will depart at 12:40 PM, one minute earlier than usual. It will also depart Farmingdale at 1:08 PM, one minute earlier than usual.
  • The 1:41 PM train from Ronkonkoma will depart at 1:40 PM, one minute earlier than usual. It will also depart Farmingdale at 2:08 PM, one minute earlier than usual.
  • The 2:41 PM train from Ronkonkoma will depart at 2:40 PM, one minute earlier than usual. It will also depart Farmingdale at 3:08 PM, one minute earlier than usual.
  • The 3:11 PM train from Ronkonkoma will depart at 3:10 PM, one minute earlier than usual.
Eastbound
  • On Monday mornings, customers on the 12:14 AM and 1:11 AM trains from Penn Station will transfer to buses at Hicksville. Please plan for up to 46 minutes of added travel time.
  • The 5:11 AM train from Penn Station will terminate at Brentwood at 6:27 AM. Customers will board buses at Brentwood for service to Central Islip and Ronkonkoma.
Greenport Service
 
Westbound
  • The 2:43 PM train from Greenport will depart 10 minutes earlier at all stops through Medford (Greenport 2:33 PM; Southold 2:43 PM; Mattituck 2:55 PM; Riverhead 3:11 PM; Yaphank 3:37 PM; Medford 3:45 PM), arriving Ronkonkoma at 3:56 PM.
Many Channels for Services Updates
 
Information about the service changes noted in this press release and all planned service changes is available through the LIRR’s real-time service information sources:
 
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.
 
MYmta app – Customers who use the new, comprehensive MYmta app will see real-time travel information for LIRR and connecting services all in one place. 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.

MTA.info – The rail tab of the “Service Status” box at the left side of www.MTA.infois always the definitive source for the latest status for each branch, updated every minute. In addition, customers can visit www.mta.info/lirrto see special service notices in the upper center of the page.
 
@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.

 
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