Long Island Rail Road, NICE Bus roll out summer services

The Long Island Rail Road and NICE Bus are kicking off the season on Long Island with the return of some of their most popular summer services.

The LIRR’s Friday afternoon Cannonball express train to the Hamptons was scheduled to make its first departure from Penn Station Friday at 4:06 p.m., then travel nonstop to Westhampton in 95 minutes.

However, the Cannonball was running 28 minutes late by the time it reached Westhampton because of an investigation of a fatal crash involving a train striking a pedestrian on the track near Sayville around 2:45 pm.

Hamptons Reserve Service customers get reserved seats in the first three cars and at-seat bar service. More information is available at the LIRR’s website.

Memorial Day weekend also marks the return of bus service to and from Jones Beach. The Nassau Inter-County Express, or NICE, will operate its n88 route, which runs nonstop between Freeport and Jones Beach, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Weekend n88 service will resume on June 25 and run through Labor Day. NICE will also provide special beach service on July 4 and for select concerts.

More information, including schedules, is available at NICE’s website.

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.