Major LIRR Expansion Project Milestone to Take Place July 11-12
This Weekend There Will Be No LIRR Service from New Hyde Park to Hicksville Stations
Other Service Changes, Timetable Adjustments for All LIRR Branches; Details Below
This weekend, July 11-12, crews will install a new bridge that will carry the Long Island Rail Road over New Hyde Park Road on the border of New Hyde Park and Garden City. The elimination of this railroad crossing is yet another major milestone for the LIRR Expansion Project. The bridge installation will be the project’s third bridge to be built over a previous at-grade railroad crossing as the MTA aims to eliminate eight such crossings by 2022.
Over the past several months, crews have been building the new bridge adjacent to the tracks, in preparation for this weekend’s installation. The bridge will be installed using an innovative engineering approach known as box-jacking that dramatically cuts down on the length of time required for this project.
The elimination of the grade crossing has been designed in conjunction with the Villages of New Hyde Park and Garden City, with feedback from residents, commuters, and elected officials. The project will strengthen the reliability of LIRR infrastructure and support the growth and development of Long Island and the wider region and will enhance safety and provide for a quieter and more livable community along the railroad.
The MTA replaced the former railroad crossing nearby at Covert Avenue between last April and October. The crossing at nearby S. 12th Street is scheduled to be eliminated this fall after work at New Hyde Park Road has been completed and the roadway is reopened for vehicular traffic and pedestrians. New Hyde Park Road closed to motorists between Plaza Avenue and Fourth Avenue on Feb. 3, and is slated to reopen in September.
To the east, the MTA bridged over the former railroad crossing at Urban Avenue in New Cassel between last March and September. The MTA is also currently building a new bridge that will span over School Street in Westbury. Three crossings in Mineola, two at Willis Avenue and one at Main Street, are slated to be eliminated sequentially in the fall of this year through 2021.
To allow this work to take place, weekend service changes along the LIRR’s Main Line, along with other adjustments on other branches, are necessary. Service details can be found below. NICE to cross-honor LIRR tickets between Mineola and Hempstead on the N40/N41 route, and between Mineola and Hicksville on the N22/N24 route. For more information, including travel tips, alternate station options, a map detailing the service changes, and parking details, please see this page at the LIRR website.
Hempstead Branch – Special Timetable Here – Weekend Service Increasing
To help accommodate customers using the Hempstead Branch as an alternative this weekend, service on this branch will be increased from hourly to half-hourly intervals, alternating between Penn Station and Atlantic Terminal.
Oyster Bay Branch – Special Timetable Here
The last train to Oyster Bay will depart Penn Station at 11:31 p.m. Friday, July 10. The last westbound train on the branch, to Jamaica, will depart from Oyster Bay at 9:23 p.m. Friday.
On Saturday and Sunday, trains will operate between Oyster Bay and East Williston only, at two-hour intervals. Customers to/from points in New York City will be able to use shuttle buses to connect with the Hempstead Branch at Hempstead Station.
The first westbound train on the branch will depart Oyster Bay at 5:12 a.m. Monday, July 13. The first train to Oyster Bay will originate at Jamaica at 8:06 a.m. Monday.
Port Jefferson Branch – Special Timetable Here
The last eastbound train to Huntington will depart Penn Station at 11:39 p.m. Friday, July 10. The last westbound train to Penn Station will depart from Huntington at 11:20 p.m. Friday.
On Saturday and Sunday, service between Port Jefferson and Huntington will operate every two hours. Service between Hicksville and Huntington will operate hourly. Customers to/from New York City can connect with shuttle trains at Hicksville and Babylon for trains operating via the south shore. There will be no service at New Hyde Park, Merillon Avenue, Mineola, Carle Place, Westbury. Bus alternatives are available.
The first westbound train to Penn Station will depart from Huntington at 3:43 a.m. Monday morning, July 13. The first eastbound train to Ronkonkoma will depart from Penn Station at 3:07 a.m. Monday.
Ronkonkoma Branch – Special Timetable Here
The last eastbound train to Ronkonkoma will depart Penn Station at 11:14 p.m. Friday evening, July 10. The last westbound train to Penn Station will depart from Ronkonkoma at 11:49 p.m. Friday.
On Saturday and Sunday, service between Ronkonkoma and Hicksville will operate hourly. Customers to/from New York City can connect at Hicksville and Babylon for trains operating via the south shore. The frequency of train service between Ronkonkoma and Greenport is unchanged, but westbound trains will depart Greenport 4-7 minutes earlier than regularly scheduled train times; connecting eastbound service to Greenport will depart up to 60 minutes earlier than normal train times.
The first westbound train to Penn Station will depart from Ronkonkoma at 1:51 a.m. Monday morning, July 13. The first eastbound train to Ronkonkoma will depart from Penn Station at 3:15 a.m. Monday.
All Other Branches
Departure and arrival times for all weekend trains will be adjusted, as will departure times for connecting trains at Jamaica. In addition, some service changes will begin Friday evening and continue through early Monday morning.
Special timetables will be in effect for all branches the weekend of July 11-12. Please see special timetables by branch below:
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:
LIRR Train Time app - Customers can see real-time positions of upcoming trains in real time, on a smartphone-optimized map that refreshes every 3- to 5-seconds. Most trains also provide North America’s first real-time estimate of seating availability for upcoming trains using weight sensors on trains.
MYmta app – Customers who use the new, comprehensive MYmta app will see real-time travel information for LIRR and connecting services all in one place. 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.
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.
MTA.info – “Service Status” on the homepage of new.mta.info, and at the left side of www.MTA.info is always the definitive source for the latest status for each branch, updated every minute. In addition, customers can visit www.mta.info/lirr to see special service notices in the upper center of the page.
@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.