LIRR outlines major service changes

Major service cuts and changes to the Long Island Rail Road are set to take a effect Monday. Here's what is planned, according to a LIRR press release:

Atlantic Terminal
Overnight service is eliminated between Atlantic Terminal and Jamaica.
On weeknights, train service to/from Brooklyn will be available to/from Brooklyn until midnight and resume around 5:00 AM; and on weekends service will be available until midnight and resume around 5:49 AM.

Long Beach Branch
The 6:09 AM train to Atlantic Terminal has been canceled. Service is available at 5:35 AM or 6:37 AM.

Montauk Branch
The 4:30 PM trains from Hunterspoint Avenue to Montauk will only operate on Fridays from May through October. An Amagansett stop has been added to the 4:06 PM train from Hunterspoint Avenue in order to close a gap in service.

Port Washington Branch
Midday weekday service and all weekend service is reduced from every half-hour to every hour. On weekdays there are 14 trains removed from the schedule with stops added to the remaining trains where needed, to provide service to all stations each hour. On weekends 32 trains are removed from the schedule.

Ronkonkoma Branch
The 4:34 PM train to Ronkonkoma from Atlantic Terminal is canceled. The 4:24 PM Penn Station-Ronkonkoma train will have an added stop at Jamaica and the 4:31 PM Penn Station-Huntington train will have added stops at New Hyde Park, Merillon Avenue, Mineola, Carle Place and Westbury to accommodate affected customers.

Main Line-Greenport
Weekend service will only be available from Memorial Day Weekend through Columbus Day Weekend.

West Hempstead Branch
Weekend service is eliminated. The 8:28 AM peak train to Atlantic Terminal has been canceled and other departure times of AM peak trains have been altered to provide more evenly space morning service with an AM schedule as follows: 5:37 AM; 6:53 AM;
7:36 AM; 8:07 AM; and 8:54 AM.

Jury Duty Special
Starting September 13, the "Jury Duty Special" train will begin operating on the Main Line/Ronkonkoma Branch to get Suffolk jurors to Riverhead before 9 AM every day the courts are in session. The train will depart from Deer Park at 7:54 AM, making stops at Brentwood (7:59 AM), Central Islip (8:03 AM), Ronkonkoma (8:10 AM), Medford (8:21 AM), Yaphank (8:29 AM) and arriving in Riverhead at 8:55 AM, where a free shuttle bus will take jurors to nearby courthouses. The process is reversed in the afternoon, with trains leaving Riverhead Station at 1:21 PM and 3:58 PM. More than 30,000 Suffolk County residents are summoned to serve on juries in Riverhead every year.

Construction/Track Work Projects
Babylon Branch (also affecting Port Jefferson, Oyster Bay, Montauk trains)
Midday weekdays, one of two main tracks between Freeport and Amityville will be out of service for a track tie replacement program. One local train will operate in each direction each hour. The second Babylon local train will originate and terminate in Freeport and have added stops at Lynbrook and St. Albans each hour. Semi-express service will remain hourly with added stops at Amityville, Copiague and Lindenhurst and no stops at Freeport and Massapequa. Train times will be adjusted up to 31 minutes later. There will also be some minor schedule adjustments for connecting trains at Jamaica for some

Port Jefferson/Huntington, Oyster Bay, and Montauk Branch trains.
Far Rockaway Branch (also affecting Hempstead, Huntington, Long Beach trains)
Midday weekdays, one of two main tracks between Valley Stream and Far Rockaway will be out of service for a track tie replacement program. Eastbound Far Rockaway trains will operate 30 minutes later and eastbound Hempstead Branch trains (connecting at Jamaica) will also operate 30 minutes later. Eastbound Long Beach trains will operate 35 minutes later. Some midday eastbound Huntington trains will operate three minutes later.

You can also pick up a copy of the Sept. 13-Nov. 14 timetable.