LIRR to restore Port Washington line service

The Long Island Rail Road will restore half-hourly midday service on its Port Washington line next month, potentially luring back 180,000 riders who left the system when the service was cut in 2010, LIRR officials said yesterday.

Port Washington midday trains will return to running every 30 minutes on May 14, LIRR officials said. Since the cuts, midday service has run hourly. Seven eastbound and seven westbound trains will be added. The switch to half-hourly trains does not include service at nights and on weekends, which will maintain hourly service.

"In an effort to attract customers back to the LIRR, the half-hourly service is being restored," the railroad said in a statement. "This service restoration on the Port Washington Branch . . . will be implemented with no additional train crew cost. The anticipated revenue from the expected increased ridership to be generated will offset any other costs."

Restoring the trains will cost about $540,000 annually to operate, officials said.

LIRR officials said they expect the extra trains to bring back the 180,000 riders lost when midday weekday service was cut. Ridership figures released last month showed that about 412,000 of the 572,000 riders that the LIRR lost from 2010 to 2011 came from the Port Washington line. MTA board member Mitchell Pally of Stony Brook said the sharp drop caused the railroad to question if it was adequately serving riders on that line.

"I think the consequences were more than anticipated," Pally said of the September 2010 service reduction on the line. "You have to look at both the savings and the effect on ridership. And here was a situation where the effect on ridership was far more than the [financial] impact was going to be."

SEE PHOTOSLIRR trains and commuters through the years

Mark Epstein, chairman of the LIRR Commuter Council, said his group predicted that ridership would take a hit, and "unfortunately, we were right."

"Hopefully, people will come back," said Epstein, who praised the LIRR's decision.

Pally said the LIRR was able to move quickly with the Port Washington restoration because it would not affect any other lines. Port Washington is the only LIRR branch that does not pass through Jamaica.

Passengers at the Great Neck station Thursday welcomed the news. Cathy Johnson of Great Neck said she noticed a "big difference" after the schedule was reduced. "Now [with the current schedule] I have to plan in advance to travel," Johnson said. "It's a good thing. It's a really good thing."