LIRR: Additional service on South Fork begins Monday

New Long Island Rail Road service to the South Fork begins Monday as track work starts on the Montauk Branch that will continue through mid-May, according to the railroad.

Crews will replace rail ties between Babylon and Sayville during the track renewal project, which is expected to continue through May 17, a news release said.

During the track work, buses will replace two eastbound and two westbound trains between Babylon and Speonk on weekdays from 8:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m., according to the release.

Passengers traveling east should expect their trips to take up to an extra 30 minutes, the railroad said.

The eastbound trains affected require:

• Passengers on the 10:26 a.m. from Penn Station to board buses at Babylon for Bay Shore through Speonk stations.
• Passengers on the 11:22 a.m. from Penn Station to board buses at Babylon for Bay Shore through Patchogue stations.

Passengers who travel west from stations between Patchogue and Babylon and Speonk and Babylon will board buses 30 minutes earlier than normal, the railroad said.

The westbound trains affected means:

• Buses will substitute for the train that normally originates at 10:25 a.m. from Patchogue and will make all local stops to Babylon, where customers will connect to a 10:53 a.m. train to Penn Station.
• Buses will substitute for the train that normally originates at 2 p.m. from Speonk and will make all local stops to Babylon, where customers will connect to a 3:06 p.m. train to Penn Station.

The additional South Fork service means six daily trains — three one-way trips in the morning and the same in the afternoon — will travel east of Speonk beginning Monday, according to the release. Some of the trains will connect with shuttles at East Hampton, Bridgehampton, Southampton, Amagansett and Montauk that will take riders to and from certain employment centers and workplaces.

A joint fare for the train and shuttles will cost $4.25 one way, the release said. The South Fork Commuter Connection will be listed on the railroad’s ticket vending machines under “Deals & Getaways.”