LIRR service reduced on two weekends for upgrades

Long Island Rail Road service will be sharply curtailed one weekend next month and in November - the weekend of the New York City Marathon - to install a modern signal and switching system.

The railroad announced "extremely limited" service the weekends of Oct. 23-24 and Nov. 6-7, when it will upgrade to what officials are calling a "state-of-the-art computerized microprocessor" switch and signal control system at Jamaica. The ING New York City Marathon is Nov. 7.

"There is a small window of available weekends after the busy summer and early fall travel season and before the upcoming Thanksgiving travel period to complete this critical work in Jamaica," LIRR officials said Tuesday. "Customers attending the NYC Marathon are advised to use the Port Washington line or the E subway train between Penn Station and Jamaica."

LIRR officials said they do not typically see a significant increase in ridership on the day of the marathon.

During the two weekends that the work is being performed, most Ronkonkoma trains will be rerouted to the Babylon branch for a portion of their routes. Officials said there will be no train or bus service to or from Atlantic Terminal, Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Hollis, Locust Manor, Laurelton, Rosedale, Merillon Avenue, New Hyde Park, St. Albans, Nostrand Avenue or East New York.

Most trips will require an additional 70 minutes of travel time, officials said.

"This project will help us get ready for the future and continue our ongoing effort to modernize the LIRR's most critical signal and switching systems," railroad president Helena E. Williams said in a prepared statement.

"The work will help ensure reliability of train service going forward," she said.

The switching board and system at Hall Tower was damaged by a major fire last month, officials said. The upgrade was scheduled before the fire.

All branches except for the Port Washington branch will be "significantly affected," the railway said in a news release.

The railroad asks that only first responders like police, firefighters and health service employees use those trains for "essential business travel."

Only three trains each hour will operate between Jamaica and Penn Station during the scheduled work, the railroad said. There will be no service between Mineola and Jamaica, Queens Village and Jamaica, and Jamaica and the Atlantic Terminal, officials said.

Almost all customers will need to use the E subway between Jamaica and Penn.

Buses will replace trains between Mineola and Jamaica on the Huntington-Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma and Oyster Bay branches, though Ronkonkoma trains will only be affected overnight.

They will also replace trains between Queens Village and Jamaica on the Hempstead branch, while Babylon and Huntington weekend service will go from two trains every hour to hourly service, officials said.

The new microprocessor technology signal system will affect three interlockings - signal and switching areas - that control all train movement through Jamaica.

As a result, workers will be able to control train movements from one center - Jamaica Central Control - instead of three towers, one at each interlocking.

The technology will replace a system that has been in use since the 1910s.

Here are the weekend branch-by-branch service disruptions:

Ronkonkoma branch - Between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., service will operate hourly between Ronkonkoma and Farmingdale stations to Penn Station dual-mode diesel engines. These dual-mode trains will operate along the Babylon branch for a portion of the route. Overnight, trains will operate between Ronkonkoma and Mineola. Westbound Ronkonkoma branch customers will take trains to Mineola, where they will board buses for travel to Jamaica. At Jamaica, customers will transfer to the E train for service to Penn. Eastbound Ronkonkoma branch customers will take the E from Penn to Jamaica and transfer to buses bound for Mineola. At Mineola, customers will transfer to a train for the remainder of the trip to Ronkonkoma.

Jamaica-Penn Station - Only three trains will operate each hour. Subway service is available on the E line.

Jamaica-Atlantic Terminal - No train service. Eastbound customers at Atlantic Terminal are advised to take the subway to Penn Station and then take one of the three trains per hour leaving Penn to Ronkonkoma, Babylon or Long Beach. For travel to other eastern terminals, customers should take the E train to Jamaica. Subway service between lower Manhattan, northern Brooklyn and Jamaica is also available via the J subway line. Westbound customers looking to travel to Atlantic Terminal should take the E train to Penn Station, Times Square or the World Trade Center and transfer to the No. 2 or 3 train to Atlantic Terminal.

Babylon branch - Train service is reduced from half-hourly to hourly in and out of Penn Station. Trains will make all local stops between Babylon and Rockville Centre. Babylon branch trains will also receive connections from Montauk trains at Babylon station.

Montauk branch - Diesel service will not operate west of Babylon. All westbound trains will terminate at Babylon. All eastbound trains will originate at Babylon. Connections will be available at Babylon.

Long Beach branch - Trains will run hourly direct to and from Penn Station, making local stops between Valley Stream and Long Beach. Long Beach trains will also connect with Far Rockaway trains at Valley Stream Station.

Far Rockaway branch - Service will be reduced from hourly to every two hours. Shuttle trains will operate between Far Rockaway and Valley Stream. Connections at Valley Stream with Long Beach branch trains will provide service to and from Penn.

Port Jefferson-Huntington branch - Service will run hourly instead of half-hourly between Huntington and Mineola. Westbound Huntington branch customers will take trains to Mineola, where they will board buses for travel to Jamaica. At Jamaica, customers can transfer to the E train for service to Penn Station. Eastbound Huntington Branch customers will take the E from Penn to Jamaica and transfer to buses bound for Mineola. At Mineola, customers will transfer to a train for the remainder of the trip to Huntington. East of Huntington, Port Jefferson Branch riders will find trains operating every two hours instead of every 90 minutes. Westbound diesel trains will terminate at Huntington. Eastbound diesel trains will originate at Huntington. Local electric train service will operate between Huntington and Mineola. Customers will board buses for travel between Mineola and Jamaica and transfer to or from the E train at Jamaica for service between Jamaica and Penn Station.

Oyster Bay branch - Trains will operate every two hours between Oyster Bay and Mineola. Westbound customers will take trains to Mineola, where they will board buses to Jamaica.

At Jamaica, customers will transfer to the E for express service to Penn Station. Eastbound customers will take the E from Penn to Jamaica and transfer to buses to Mineola. At Mineola, customers will transfer to a train for the remainder of the trip to Oyster Bay.

Hempstead branch - Trains will be provided every two hours, instead of hourly, between Hempstead and Queens Village. Westbound customers will take trains to Queens Village and board buses to Jamaica. At Jamaica, customers will transfer to the E for express service to Penn Station. Eastbound customers will take the E from Penn to Jamaica and board buses to Queens Village. At Queens Village, customers will transfer to a trains.

Port Washington branch - The only branch that does not operate through Jamaica, regular hourly weekend service will be provided on both weekends.

Stations without service - During the two so-called "cutover" weekends, these stations will not have any service: Atlantic Terminal, Nostrand Avenue, East New York, Locust Manor, Laurelton, Rosedale, St. Albans, New Hyde Park, Merillon Avenue, Hollis, Kew Gardens and Forest Hills.

For additional information, go to mta.info/lirr. Jamaica Cutover weekend timetables will be available at all terminals starting in mid-October. For additional information, customers can contact the Travel Information Center in Suffolk County at 631-231-LIRR, in Nassau County at 516-822-LIRR or in New York City at 718-217-LIRR. The Travel Information Center's TDD telephone number for the hearing-impaired is 718-558-3022.

With Alfonso A. Castillo