August 01, 2018

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

PTC Work on Port Washington and Atlantic Branches Continues Simultaneously; Bus Service to Substitute For Trains on Portions of the Ronkonkoma Branch on Weekends This August; Other Service Changes

Construction on the Long Island Rail Road's crucial Double Track project along the Ronkonkoma Branch in Suffolk County is entering its final weeks this August, as the LIRR continues important infrastructure work at several locations across the system, including with Positive Train Control on both the Port Washington Branch and the Atlantic Branch.

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.

On the weekends of August 4-5, 11-12, 18-19, and 25-26, 2018, work between Hicksville and Ronkonkoma that will require busing is set to commence 1 a.m. Saturday mornings until Mondays at 3:29 a.m., when regular train service will resume. The first train to operate on Mondays will be the 4:06 a.m. departure from Ronkonkoma, due Penn Station at 5:29 a.m.

The LIRR strives to minimize construction impacts to train schedules and customers by scheduling coinciding work. On these same weekends, the LIRR will be making progress on PTC testing along the Port Washington Branch, which will require a reduction in service, from 7:11 a.m. to 11:58 a.m. on Saturdays, and again from 7:11 a.m. until 8:58 a.m. Sunday mornings. Please view this Special Timetable for a complete list of train times.
 
Additionally, PTC work will also take place on the Atlantic Branch between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal on the weekends of August 4-5 and 11-12, only. LIRR trains on these weekends will not make local stops to Nostrand Avenue and East New York, however, New York City Transit will cross-honor LIRR tickets for subway use between these stations.

Due to this work, some trains on the weekends of August 4-5 and 11-12, on other branches may run on adjusted schedules and have alternate connections. Please refer to the following timetables: Babylon Branch, Far Rockaway Branch, Hempstead Branch, Long Beach Branch, Montauk Branch, Oyster Bay Branch, Port Jefferson Branch, West Hempstead Branch.
 
Detailed service changes are as follows:
 
City Terminal Zone – Special Timetable Here; Aug. 4-5, 11-12, Only:
  • Due to PTC work between Jamaica Station and Atlantic Terminal, service to and from Atlantic Terminal will run hourly instead of half-hourly.
  • During this time, service will not run to Nostrand Avenue or East New York. New York City Transit will cross-honor LIRR tickets at East New York and Nostrand Avenue to/from Atlantic Terminal and Jamaica on both weekends.
  • Some Friday evening and Monday morning service is also affected on these weekends.
  • Other branches with connections to these terminals may also have adjusted schedules and alternate connections.
 
Port Washington Branch – Special Timetable Here Aug. 4--5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26: 

  • Service on this branch will be reduced on Saturdays and Sundays on these weekends.
 
Ronkonkoma Branch – Special Timetable for Aug. 4-5, 11-12 Here; Service changes for Aug. 4--5, 11-12, 18-19, 25-26: 

Starting Friday night and ending Monday morning on these weekends, train service will terminate and originate in Hicksville.
  • Eastbound: Customers will detrain at Hicksville and board buses for stations Bethpage through Ronkonkoma. Passengers should expect up to 46 minutes additional travel time.
  • Westbound: Customers traveling from Ronkonkoma through Hicksville will board buses up to 46 minutes earlier than normal for Hicksville, where normal train service will resume.
  • Customers are encouraged to avoid busing and to use the Babylon Branch, Montauk Branch, or Port Jefferson Branch.
  • Note: The busing program will be the same as stated above for the weekends of Aug. 18-19 and 25-26; a subsequent special timetable for these weekends will be issued as soon as it becomes available.
Greenport – Special Timetable Here:

 Eastbound:
  • Customers for the 4:19 a.m. train from Ronkonkoma to Greenport will board the 2:53 a.m. train from Penn Station to Hicksville, where they will detrain and board a bus making all local stops to Greenport. Passengers should expect up to 1 hour and 40 minutes additional travel time.
  • Customers for the 9:40 a.m. and 2:40 p.m. trains from Ronkonkoma to Greenport will board the 7:12 a.m. and 12:12 p.m. trains from Penn Station to Hicksville, one hour earlier than normal, and detrain there for buses to Ronkonkoma, where train service resumes.
  • Customers looking to take the 6:50 p.m. train from Ronkonkoma to Greenport will board the 5:12 p.m. train from Penn Station to Hicksville, where they will detrain for buses to Ronkonkoma, where train service will resume.
Westbound:
  • Customers will detrain at Ronkonkoma and board buses up to 23 minutes later than normal to Hicksville, where train service will resume to points west. Passengers will arrive at Western Terminals 1 hour later than normal.
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