On the weekends of April 14-17 and April 21-24, there will be schedule and service changes on several Long Island Rail Road branches. These changes will begin on Friday at 9 p.m. and continue until 5 a.m. Monday morning.
The New York State Department of Transportation is widening the Van Wyck Expressway and needs to replace a bridge that supports two of our busiest tracks. This 113-year-old bridge, located just west of Jamaica, carries all westbound trains from Jamaica towards Manhattan and Long Island City. That's more than 300 trains each weekday.
This bridge replacement work will affect service and schedules on multiple LIRR branches. Even if your branch is not directly affected, please check the TrainTime app for possible changes to departure and transfer times. If you are transferring at Jamaica, pay close attention to screens and announcements for track changes while we route trains around the construction zone.
Half the bridge will be replaced on these weekends. Similar service changes will occur later this year to replace the second half.
Read on for major service changes.
Hempstead Branch
Most trains will run between Hempstead and Atlantic Terminal. When Atlantic Terminal is closed between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., trains will run between Hempstead and Jamaica only. Transfer at Jamaica for service to Manhattan.
Westbound trains from Huntington and Ronkonkoma will not stop at Elmont-UBS Arena, Queens Village, or Hollis. Trains from Hempstead will still stop at these stations once per hour. Eastbound service at these stations will run on its regular schedule.
West Hempstead Branch
Most trains will run between West Hempstead and Grand Central. Transfer at Jamaica for service to Brooklyn.
Westbound trains from West Hempstead will not stop at St. Albans. Instead, westbound trains from Babylon will stop there nine minutes later than normal.
Kew Gardens, Forest Hills, and Woodside
There will be no westbound service at Kew Gardens and Forest Hills. The only westbound trains stopping at Woodside will be those from Port Washington.
Please take the or subway instead. Show your LIRR ticket to the station agent at Sutphin Blvd-Archer Ave, Kew Gardens-Union Tpk, Forest Hills-71 Av, or Woodside-61 St to enter the system at no extra charge.
Port Washington Branch
If you are riding westbound into Manhattan, take a train that directly serves the terminal you wish to go to. Because westbound trains from other branches are not stopping at Woodside, you will not be able to transfer there for the other terminal.
Babylon and Montauk Branches
Some eastbound trains from Penn Station to Babylon, with connections at Babylon for Patchogue or Speonk, will leave six minutes earlier than usual.
UBS Arena
Regular westbound Huntington and Ronkonkoma trains will not stop at Elmont-UBS Arena. We will run a few special trains before events from Huntington, Farmingdale, and Ronkonkoma, to Elmont-UBS Arena. These trains will not serve Jamaica or Manhattan.
Eastbound service at Elmont-UBS Arena is not affected.