Summer Service Changes - June 16
Track Improvements Impact Service

$60.4 Million Project to Run from June 16 thru September 1

A major modernization program that will bring state-of-the-art technology to an important LIRR switching point between Queens Village and Bellerose is scheduled to begin on Monday, June 16.

The $60.4 million project at a junction known as Queens Interlocking, where the busy Main Line and Hempstead Branch merge, will take ten weeks to complete and result in temporary schedule changes.

The plan is to replace the current signal system with microprocessor technology and reconfigure the track to include high-speed crossover switches.

“This project will benefit our customers by providing a smoother and faster ride over the crossovers, and a reduction in maintenance-related track outages at a very busy section of the Railroad, west of the Bellerose station,” said LIRR Senior Vice President-Operations Ray Kenny.

The switch replacement will result in AM and PM peak train cancellations on the Hempstead, Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma Branches as well as other peak and off-peak schedule adjustments throughout the system. The Hempstead Branch will be significantly affected because one of the two main tracks on the branch will be out of service between June 30 and August 24.

The project will begin and end with two major weekends of service changes. The first will be on the Hempstead Branch on the weekend of June 21-22. The second will occur on the weekend of August 23-24 and will require the shutdown of the entire Main Line with buses replacing trains between Mineola and Jamaica affecting Hempstead, Oyster Bay and Port Jefferson Branches. The work will also affect the Ronkonkoma Branch to a lesser degree. Customers are advised to check timetables and even consider using south shore branches that weekend.

The Railroad will send out additional reminders as the project’s start date draws closer. Meanwhile, below is a list of the temporary schedule changes that will be put into effect during the Queens Interlocking upgrade.

AM Peak Changes - Effective June 16, 2008

Hempstead Branch

• The 7:23 AM Hempstead to Flatbush Avenue train will be cancelled. Alternate service at stations Hempstead through Stewart Manor and Bellerose will be available 13 minutes earlier or 18 minutes later. Service from Floral Park, Queens Village and Hollis will be available between 3 and 4 minutes earlier.

Port Jefferson Branch

• The 6:45 AM Port Jefferson to Hunterspoint Avenue train will operate 2 minutes earlier and terminate at Huntington. Customers will transfer to the 7:36 AM train from Huntington, which will have a Jamaica stop added. Hunterspoint Avenue customers will arrive at their destination 6 minutes later.
• The Huntington train, which normally originates from Huntington at 7:12 AM will originate from Cold Spring Harbor at 7:11 AM and will have a Hicksville stop added.
•  The train, which normally originates from Cold Spring Harbor at 7:28 AM, will originate from Huntington at 7:22 AM.
•  The 6:18 AM train from Port Jefferson will depart one minute earlier and will stop at Huntington at 7:02 AM.

 
Other AM Peak Hempstead, Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma and Oyster Bay Branch trains have stops added and deleted and as a result have added running time of up to 6 minutes. Some trains will be shifted up to 6 minutes.

 AM Peak Changes - Effective June 30 through August 22, 2008

Hempstead Branch

• The 8:45 AM Hempstead to Flatbush Avenue train will be cancelled. Alternate service at stations Hempstead through Stewart Manor and Bellerose will be available 25 minutes earlier or 24 minutes later. Service from Floral Park, Queens Village and Hollis will be available 4 minutes earlier. 

PM Peak Changes - Effective June 16, 2008

Ronkonkoma Branch

• The 4:34 PM Flatbush Avenue to Ronkonkoma train will be cancelled. Alternate service to stations New Hyde Park through Hicksville is available 3 minutes earlier. Alternative service to stations Bethpage through Ronkonkoma will be available 14 minutes earlier. The 4:24 PM train from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma will have a Jamaica stop added.
• The 6:14 PM Flatbush Avenue to Hempstead train will terminate at Garden City with bus service to Country Life Press and Hempstead. Trip time extended by up to 15 minutes.

Other PM Peak Hempstead, Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma and Oyster Bay Branch trains will have stops added and deleted and as a result have added running time of up to 6 minutes. Some trains will be shifted up to 16 minutes.

PM Peak Changes - Effective June 30 through August 22, 2008

Hempstead Branch

• The 7:05 PM Penn Station to Hempstead train will be cancelled. Alternative service is available 10 minutes earlier and 28 minutes later.

Hempstead Branch Alternate Bus Service - Reverse Peak Period Effective June 30 through August 22

While the work is being reformed between June 30 and August 22, the LIRR will not be able to access one of the two tracks on the Hempstead Branch. As a result, it is not possible to operate normal reverse peak service to and from Hempstead.

In the morning three reverse peak trains are cancelled. There will be no eastbound train service to stations Bellerose through Hempstead between 6:30 AM and 9:30 AM. Eastbound train service will be provided to Hollis and Queens Village and bus service from Queens Village will be provided to Bellerose through Hempstead.

 In the evening three reverse peak trains will be cancelled. There will be no westbound service from Hempstead through Bellerose stations between 4:50 PM and 7:00 PM. Trains operating on the Main Line will stop at Floral Park, Queens Village and Hollis and bus service to Jamaica will be provided for customers at stations Hempstead through Bellerose.

Approximately 400 customers are affected in each reverse peak period. Alternate bus service will add up to 25 minutes additional travel time for affected customers. 

Off Peak - Weekdays, Effective June 16, 2008

During off-peak periods midday and overnight from June 16 to September 5, 2008, schedule adjustments of up to 48 minutes and running time additions of up to 6 minutes will be made to select trains system-wide. Trains on branches, which do not travel through the construction area are affected due to connections in Jamaica or at western terminals.

In the evening, the 7:13 PM train from Ronkonkoma will originate at Central Islip at 7:20 PM. Bus service from Ronkonkoma to Central Islip will be available.

Weekend Schedule Adjustments - Effective June 16, 2008

Port Jefferson Branch

Currently on weekends, half-hourly service is provided to Huntington, Cold Spring Harbor and Syosset stations for 16 hours of the day. During the Queens Interlocking project service during 8 of the 16 hours will be reduced to hourly. As a result, higher ridership can be expected on the remaining Huntington and Ronkonkoma trains.

To support the work at Queens Interlocking during weekends and holidays from June 16 to September 7, 2008, will be added and removed from certain trains. Schedule adjustments up to 23 minutes and running time additions of up to 9 minutes will be made to select trains system-wide.

Weekend Hempstead Branch Signal Cut - June 21-22, 2008

On the weekend of June 21- 22, a signal testing and cutover will occur for 48 hours on the Hempstead Branch. On Saturday and Sunday, buses will operate to and from Jamaica replacing train service for all stations on the Hempstead Branch between Hollis and Hempstead. Hempstead Branch customers will experience up to 25 minutes additional travel time due to the alternate service.

Weekend Main Line Signal Cut - August 23-24, 2008

On the weekend of August 23-24, a major signal cutover will occur to put the new interlocking into service. This cutover will require a 52-hour outage for service operating through Queens Interlocking. Bussing will take place between Jamaica and Mineola and dual-mode trains operating via the Montauk Branch and Central Branch will operate to Ronkonkoma. Service on the Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma, Oyster Bay, Hempstead and Montauk Branches will be affected. More detailed information on this service will be provided in a future press release.

For additional travel information, customers can contact the LIRR’s 24-hour Travel Information Center in Suffolk County at 631-231-LIRR, in Nassau County at 516-822-LIRR or in New York City at 718-217-LIRR. The Travel Information Center’s TDD telephone number for the hearing impaired is 718-558-3022.