LIRR to replace Hempstead trains with buses on March 29

The Long Island Rail Road will replace trains scheduled on the Hempstead branch with buses for 12 hours on Saturday, March 29.

According to MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan, buses will run from around 1:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. between Hempstead and Garden City stations. Donovan said this switch results from LIRR workers using the track between these stations to prepare for concrete tie installation.

Eastbound trains scheduled to arrive at Country Life Press between 1:30 a.m. and 12:33 p.m., or at Hempstead between 1:34 a.m. and 12:37 p.m., will transfer onto a bus or van at the Garden City station to their destination.

Westbound trains scheduled to depart from Hempstead between 1:49 a.m. and 1:11 p.m., or trains scheduled to depart from Country Life Press between 1:52 a.m. and 1:15 p.m., will instead board buses or vans to Garden City for connections to regularly scheduled westbound trains.

Buses or vans will depart up to 13 minutes prior to scheduled train departure times, Donovan said, so customers should arrive at Hempstead or Country Life Press 15 minutes earlier than the scheduled train departure time.

Donovan advised customers to plan for an extra 13 minutes in travel time, depending on their destination.