Work to affect LIRR weekend schedules

Train schedules on the Long Beach branch and other Long Island Rail Road branches will be affected during two weekends in September due to switch replacement work in Valley Stream.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will be performing the work from 7 a.m.  Saturday, Sept. 15,  to 2 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 16. On Saturday, Sept. 29, work will start at 2 a.m. The work will end at 2 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 30.

On the Long Beach branch, eastbound trains will leave up to 19 minutes later than normal and westbound trains will leave up to 12 minutes later than usual.

The switch renewal work will also affect trains that stop at Valley Stream, Rosedale, Laurelton and Locust Manor on the Far Rockaway branch and connecting trains on the Hempstead, Babylon and Montauk branches.

Some trains will depart a station earlier than their normal time. On Sept. 29, the 6:15 a.m. train from Long Beach to Penn Station will leave 29 minutes earlier at 5:46 a.m.

On Sept. 15 and Sept. 29, the 8:10 a.m., 10:10 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. express trains from Jamaica to Babylon will have their connecting train service depart Penn Station five minutes earlier than normal at 7:40 a.m., 9:40 a.m. and 11:40 a.m.

Earlier departures will also affect the Montauk and Hempstead branches.

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The Saturday track work at Valley Stream will affect 4,370 customers traveling eastbound and 4,170 customers traveling westbound, according to LIRR spokesman Sal Arena.

The special timetables can be found at mta.info/lirr. Customers can also contact the LIRR's Travel Information Center by calling 511 for details.