On the weekend of Saturday, Feb. 29, and Sunday, March 1, MTA Long Island Rail Road forces will perform critical work on the replacement of the Meadowbrook Substation, in Freeport, an integral component of the rail infrastructure system that provide power to the trains and will ultimately support future growth of the LIRR. Crews will also perform critical signal work on the new Massapequa Pocket Track, which will provide the LIRR with greater flexibility and increased capacity along the Babylon Branch in connection with the start of service to Grand Central. 

As a result of this work, buses will substitute for trains between Babylon and Rockville Centre. Trains between Rockville Centre and Penn Station will operate hourly. Customers should anticipate at least 45 minutes of additional travel time. 

Babylon Branch service will be affected as follows: 

Westbound: Customers at Babylon through Baldwin will board buses to Rockville Centre, then transfer for hourly train service to points west. Customers at Babylon Station can board a limited number of westbound Montauk Branch trains that will operate via the Central Branch through Hicksville to points west. 

Eastbound: Customers will board hourly trains to Rockville Centre, then transfer for bus service to Baldwin through Babylon. 

To avoid busing, transfers and delays, customers are strongly advised to use alternate branches including the Hempstead, Huntington/Port Jefferson, Long Beach and Ronkonkoma branches. The LIRR will be increasing service on the Ronkonkoma Branch and adding cars to Montauk Branch trains. Special Branch Timetables dated Feb. 29 – March 1, 2020 can be found online at http://web.mta.info/lirr/Timetable/ 

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: 

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

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.