During the weekends of January 6-7, 13-14, 20-21, and 27-28, from Saturday at 12:48 a.m. through 12:46 a.m. on Monday each weekend, buses will substitute for trains beween stations Hicksville, Farmingdale, Pinelawn, Wyandanch, Deer Park, Brentwood, Central Islip and Ronkonkoma as the LIRR works to replace switches and perform other construction related to the Double Track Project.
The Double Track Project upon completion will improve service and reliability on the LIRR’s Ronkonkoma Branch, while spurring economic activity, and improving LIRR service to Long Island MacArthur Airport. Over the past 25 years, ridership on the Ronkonkoma Branch has doubled—growing in popularity since the line was electrified in 1988—indicating the need for expansion.
The project will also aid in reducing delays in the event of a service disruption, as the 18-mile stretch between Ronkonkoma and Farmingdale currently only has one track available to both directions of train traffic. When an issue arises with a train, this stalls all other east and westbound trains because there is currently no way to circumnavigate the stalled train.
No traffic detours will be required for this effort.
Visit MTA.info for special timetable information. Service changes are as follows:
Eastbound
• Eastbound customers traveling to stations Bethpage through Ronkonkoma will board buses at Hicksville for their station.
• Eastbound customers can expect up to 44 minutes additional travel time.
Westbound
• Westbound customers traveling from stations Ronkonkoma through Bethpage will board buses at their station for Hicksville, where they will transfer to train service.
• Westbound buses will depart up to 44 minutes earlier than normal train service in order to connect with trains at Hicksville.
• Note: Since Ronkonkoma Branch trains are being cancelled for this program, customers in both directions will board alternate trains between Hicksville and points west to connect to/from buses.
Greenport
• Customers traveling between Ronkonkoma and Greenport will have train service on adjusted schedules to connect to and from buses at Ronkonkoma.
Many Channels for Services Updates
Information about the additional service noted in this press release and all planned service changes is available through the LIRR’s real-time service information sources:
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 Train Time app – Customers who use the LIRR Train Time app will see up-to-the-minute status for each upcoming train at each station. As a caution, trains that start out their trips on time may experience delays en route.
MTA.info – The rail tab of the “Service Status” box 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.
