Ronkonkoma station deserted at sunrise

An overhead announcement board at the Ronkonkoma LIRR station says that... — An overhead announcement board at the Ronkonkoma LIRR station says that service is suspended because of a strike Saturday morning. Credit: Maureen Mullarkey

By Maureen Mullarkeymaureen.mullarkey@newsday.comMay 16, 2026 5:52 am

As the sun rose on Day 1 of the LIRR strike, not a soul was seen and only the coos of pigeons and the chirping of birds could be heard at the Ronkonkoma station early Saturday.

Instead of usual train schedules displayed on screens and above the tracks, the sign read: “Announcement everyone, Long Island Rail Road Service is suspended because of a strike.”

The station’s train yard on Railroad Avenue appeared to be filled with trains.

By Maureen Mullarkey

maureen.mullarkey@newsday.com

Maureen Mullarkey is a breaking news reporter at Newsday. She previously worked as a reporter for Patch, where she covered a range of Long Island stories on topics such as the Diocese of Rockville Centre bankruptcy and the Babylon School District abuse scandals.

Streaming Now

From celebrating America's 250th birthday to a new ride at Adventureland, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your inside look at Newsday's summer FunBook. Credit: Newsday/Howard Schnapp, Kendall Rodriguez, Drew Singh; Anthony Florio, Randee Daddona, Morgan Campbell, Debbie Egan-Chin

Get ready for sun and fun with NewsdayTV's summer FunBook special! From celebrating America's 250th birthday to a new ride at Adventureland, NewsdayTV's Elisa DiStefano and Newsday lifestyle editor Meghan Giannotta have your inside look at Newsday's summer FunBook.

Get more on these and other NewsdayTV stories

Stay logged in.