Transportation Update

LIRR weekend travel alert

There will be revised schedules this weekend for Babylon, Hempstead and West Hempstead Branches due to track work

Posted

Train schedules on the Babylon, Far Rockaway, Hempstead, Montauk, Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson and West Hempstead branches will be adjusted on the weekend of April 15 and 16 to allow for important infrastructure upgrades. Long Island Rail Road workers will be installing new concrete railroad ties along a 7-mile stretch between Rockville Centre and Valley Stream. Customers should consult special weekend timetables and allow extra travel time.

Beginning at 10:11 p.m. on Friday, one of two main tracks between Rockville Centre and Valley Stream will be out of service until 1:52 a.m. on Monday. Due to track work, service on the Babylon Branch will be hourly instead of half-hourly and buses will replace train service in several locations. Special timetables covering the affected branches will be available at train terminals and local stations, as well as on the LIRR website: www.mta.info/lirr.

Babylon Branch
·Reduced service from half-hourly to hourly beginning Friday at 10 p.m. through early Monday morning.

·The 1:23 a.m. train from Babylon scheduled to arrive at Penn Station at 2:40 a.m. will not stop at Valley Stream, Rosedale, Laurelton and Locust Manor. Customers traveling to those stations will be provided bus service at Rockville Centre.

Far Rockaway Branch
·Changes in departure times and stopping patterns for some overnight trains.

Hempstead Branch
·The 4:54 a.m. train from Penn Station, due to arrive at Hempstead at 5:48 a.m., will leave Penn Station 15 minutes later than usual.

Montauk Branch
·Departure times for some trains will change, as will departure times for connecting trains at Babylon and Jamaica.

Oyster Bay Branch
·Departure times for some trains will change.

Port Jefferson Branch
·Most Huntington-bound trains will make added stops at Forest Hills and Kew Gardens.

West Hempstead Branch
·Buses will replace weekend trains in both directions between West Hempstead and Valley Stream beginning late Friday night.

Track Laying Machine
The Jamaica to Valley Stream concrete tie replacement project will be carried out using a track-laying machine that simultaneously spreads the old rail, removes the old ties, installs the new concrete ties and threads new continuous-welded rail into the new ties, forming a new track. Click here to see it in action.