New Timetables Start March 2

On Four Weekends in March:
Buses Replace West Hempstead Branch Trains; Babylon Branch Service Affected; Hempstead, Long Beach and Far Rockaway Branches & Other Schedules Revised

New MTA Long Island Rail Road timetables will be in effect during the month of March to accommodate a track work program in the Valley Stream area that will take place on all four weekends during the month. Train service on five branches, West Hempstead, Hempstead, Babylon, Long Beach and Far Rockaway will be directly affected by the work and other branches will be indirectly impacted through connecting trains at Jamaica. Only two branches will not be impacted, Oyster Bay and Port Washington, although both branches will have timetables re-issued reflecting the March date.

The work in the Valley Stream area involves maintenance of track components, including ties and rails, and replacement where necessary. In addition, preparatory work will take place for installation and activation of a new signal system in the area during the fall. A later news release will detail train service impacts during this fall weekend.

Weekends of March 7-8, March 14-15, March 21-22, March 28-29

West Hempstead Branch
Eastbound: Customers will board their regular trains at western terminals and transfer to buses at Valley Stream for their stations to West Hempstead. Customers should anticipate up to 19 minutes additional travel time.
Westbound: Customers will board buses at their stations and transfer to trains at Jamaica to complete their trips. Customers should anticipate up to 29 minutes additional travel time.

Babylon Branch
Since there will be limited track space available during the affected weekends because of the work, it is necessary to reduce the number of Babylon Branch trains operating during these four weekends. Service will be reduced to approximately one train per hour instead of the regular two trains per hour. Affected customers should pick up a copy of the special Branch timetables for these weekends for further details.

Far Rockaway, Hempstead & Long Beach Branches
Train departure and arrival times will be revised during the affected weekends. Customers should pick up a copy of the special Branch timetable for these weekends for further details.

Other Branches
Customers on the Port Jefferson, Ronkonkoma, and City Terminal Zone branches should pickup copies of the March timetables at their stations and at all terminals because of time changes in Jamaica for connecting trains due to the track work. Oyster Bay and Port Washington customers will also have new March timetables, although they will not reflect any time changes.

New timetables will be issued effective March 30, after the Valley Stream track work is completed.

Special timetables for the affected weekends will be available at stations and terminals during February. Affected customers can also 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.