LIRR: Tunnel work means July service changes

There will be changes and delays in eastbound service during the evening commute on the Babylon and Long Beach branches of the Long Island Rail Road for much of July due to excavation work on the new East Side Access tunnel under the East River, officials said Monday.

The disruptions will begin July 9 when a major routing mechanism, Switch 813, will be taken out of service, the MTA, parent organization of the LIRR, said in a statement. The disruption will last for up to one month, the MTA said.

"The loss of Switch 813 and the access it provides to one of our eastbound tracks will temporarily reduce the LIRR's operational flexibility and increase the impact of service disruption should one occur," the statement said.

The loss of the switch means the railroad can use only two of its three eastbound tracks during the evening rush, the statement said.

The railroad said it would have additional rescue equipment and workers available while the work was being done.

Some riders on the Babylon branch will experience up to 11 minutes of additional travel time, and Long Beach riders will experience delays of up to six minutes, the LIRR said.

The LIRR will cancel three trains for the duration of the work. They are:

The 4:52 p.m. from Penn Station to Babylon. Riders can take the 5:03 p.m. from Penn Station, making all stops to Babylon.

The 5:20 p.m. from Penn Station to Long Beach. Riders can take 5:23 p.m. from Penn Station stopping at Jamaica, then all stops to Long Beach.

The 5:40 p.m. from Penn Station to Seaford. Riders can take the 5:47 p.m. from Penn Station, which will make all stops to Seaford.

Four eastbound trains will have their times adjusted. They are:

The 5:36 p.m. from Penn Station to Babylon will depart Penn Station one minute later, at 5:37 p.m. and arrive at Babylon two minutes later at 6:42 p.m.

The 5:55 p.m. from Penn Station to Long Beach will arrive at Long Beach one minute later at 6:52 p.m.

The 5:59 p.m. from Penn Station to Babylon will arrive at Babylon five minutes later at 7:04 p.m.

The 6:44 p.m. from Babylon to Patchogue will operate two minutes later at 7:16 p.m. as a result of its connecting train from Penn Station, the 5:37 p.m., arriving two minutes later at Babylon.