LIRR service cuts set to begin Monday

The Long Island Rail Road is less than a week away from numerous cost-cutting service changes, including cancellation of several trains and elimination of service to Belmont Park.

The service cuts already were approved by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board and are to take effect Monday. Other temporary service disruptions stem from upcoming track work and construction projects.

Among the changes are the LIRR's elimination of daily service to Belmont Park. The LIRR originally proposed the service cut last year and stopped running trains for the first several days of the race season. But the state Legislature's rescue of the cash-strapped MTA allowed the agency to restore the service for most of last year's racing season.

The LIRR still will run trains to and from Belmont Park on June 4, and on June 5 for the 142nd running of the Belmont Stakes.

Other cuts include cancellation of eight trains on the Babylon, Long Beach, Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson and Port Washington branches, including some morning peak and evening peak trains.

The service changes are meant to address a massive MTA deficit. Several other service cuts will be implemented in September, including elimination of weekend service to West Hempstead and to Greenport and the shift in weekday off-peak service to Port Washington from half-hourly to hourly.

"Unfortunately these service reductions are needed to help close an $800-million MTA budget gap," LIRR spokesman Joe Calderone said. "We have tried to implement cutbacks that improve efficiency and that have an impact on the least number of customers."

SEE PHOTOSLIRR trains and commuters through the years

Track work and other construction projects also will affect schedules on trains to Brooklyn and to Babylon, Port Jefferson, Port Washington, and Ronkonkoma beginning next week.

Riders can find complete information on the schedule changes on newsday.com or at the MTA's official website: mta.info.