As part of its Double Track Project to increase track capacity, service frequency and reliability on the Ronkonkoma Branch, as well as ongoing inspection and repair work for general reliability and safety, the Long Island Rail Road is conducting high-tech rail inspections, switch replacement and other track work between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma in the early morning hours of Saturday, Aug. 19. 

The Double Track Project will improve service and reliability on the LIRR’s Ronkonkoma Branch, spur economic activity, provide hundreds of construction jobs and improve LIRR service to Long Island MacArthur Airport. The Double Track Project will dramatically reduce delays on the LIRR and enable more off-peak service in both directions. 

The LIRR will perform track work between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma between midnight and 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 19, timed to inconvenience the fewest number of customers possible. Among the work, switches will be replaced and track inspections will be performed using a specialized diagnostic car fitted with ultrasonic and induction test equipment. The equipment is designed to detect and repair internal rail defects not readily visible to the eye. Maintenance crews will follow the inspection train in order to conduct any necessary work, including repairs, immediately.

As a result of the work, buses will substitute for overnight trains in each direction between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma between midnight and 8:00 a.m. Four trains in each direction will be affected and some customers should plan for up to 50 minutes of additional travel time to their destinations. 

There will be no effect on local traffic. Special bus and train timetables are available at this link:

http://web.mta.info/lirr/Timetable/KO-SwitchAndSperryTesting_08-19-2017.pdf

Eastbound Summary

The four Ronkonkoma Branch trains that depart Penn Station at 12:14, 1:21, 2:53 and 4:43 a.m. on Aug. 19 will terminate at Farmingdale and connect to buses stopping at Pinelawn, Wyandanch, Deer Park, Brentwood, Central Islip and Ronkonkoma. Buses are scheduled to depart Farmingdale 10 minutes after the arrival of the train from Penn Station. 

Westbound Summary

The four trains that normally originate at Ronkonkoma during the scheduled work on Aug. 19 will be replaced by local and express buses at 11:55, 11:57, 1:21, 1:23, 2:55, 2:57, 4:46 and 4:48 a.m., with the local buses making stops at Central Islip, Brentwood, Deer Park, Wyandanch, Pinelawn and Farmingdale. The buses to Farmingdale will connect to westbound trains departing 10 minutes after their arrival. 

Many Methods to Receive Service Information

The LIRR encourages customers to sign up for train service updates. Information about this service change and all planned service changes is available via many channels. 

• Email and text message service updates. The LIRR will send reminders to the 87,500 customers who receive updates via email and text message. Customers are encouraged 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. Similarly, the railroad will issue reminders via its Twitter feed, @LIRR.
• LIRR Train Time™. Customers who use the LIRR Train Time™ app will see up-to-the-minute status for each upcoming train at each station. As a caution, trains that start out their trips on time may experience delays en route.
• Audio public address announcements at stations and on trains and accompanied by visual updates on digital screens at stations will remind customers of service status and changes.
• 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.