We’re making changes to LIRR service with our new timetables taking effect on Tuesday, September 5 that will increase service to Penn Station and add more direct service to Brooklyn. We’ve been analyzing ridership data and customer feedback since we started full service to Grand Central in February and have made many smaller adjustments to match our service to demand as quickly as possible. This timetable change allows us to make larger changes that could not be made earlier in the year to better match demand and accommodate customer requests. We’ll continue to analyze our service to see where we can make additional adjustments in future timetable changes.
In the morning peak, we’re adding direct service to Brooklyn from the Far Rockaway, Long Beach, Hempstead, and Huntington branches. We are also changing which trains stop at Rosedale, Laurelton, Locust Manor, Queens Village, and Hollis stations. Ridership data indicates that more riders are traveling to Brooklyn from these stations, so we want to make sure they’re offered more direct trains to Brooklyn.
Starting at 10:30 p.m. each night until 2 a.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. on weekends, schedules will be adjusted on all trains to and from Grand Central. Some trains that formerly ran to or from Grand Central will run to or from Penn Station instead. This will give more choices to customers attending concerts or sporting events, while allowing time for crews to conduct maintenance in the tunnels.
Major changes to each branch are outlined below. Starting in mid-August, riders should check the TrainTime app or schedules to plan their trips and view additional minor changes that may affect their departure and/or transfer times.
Brooklyn Service
- During the morning peak, trains will still run roughly every 8 minutes between Jamaica and Brooklyn, but more trains will be through trains from Long Island departing from tracks 3, 4, or 5 rather than shuttles departing from tracks 11 or 12. Listen for announcements or use the TrainTime app to find the next train to Brooklyn.
- Westbound weekday service will start earlier, with a new Brooklyn-bound train departing Jamaica at 4:31 a.m.
- There is a new weekday train departing Atlantic Terminal at 3:31 p.m. to Jamaica.
- On weekdays between roughly 9:50 a.m. and 11:20 a.m., Brooklyn service will be reduced to one train per hour to allow for mandatory track inspections in the tunnel between Atlantic Terminal and Jamaica.
Kew Gardens, Forest Hills, and Woodside
- In response to customer requests, during off-peak hours (midday, evening, night and weekend), most trains that stop at Kew Gardens will also stop at Forest Hills and vice versa.
- To improve reliability during the morning peak, we have adjusted which trains stop at Kew Gardens, Forest Hills, and/or Woodside. Check the TrainTime app or schedules for adjusted train departure times.
Babylon Branch
- Direct service to Brooklyn will no longer be available during the morning peak to allow for more service on branches with higher Brooklyn ridership.
- The 7:49 a.m. train from Freeport will run to Grand Central instead of Atlantic Terminal.
- The 8:54 a.m. train from Freeport will no longer run. Alternate trains leave 16 minutes earlier or 6 minutes later.
Far Rockaway Branch
- In the morning peak, four of 10 trains from Far Rockaway will run to Atlantic Terminal instead of Manhattan, restoring direct service to Brooklyn on the branch.
- We’ve changed which trains stop at Rosedale, Laurelton, and Locust Manor stations during the morning peak. These stops will mostly be made by trains going to Atlantic Terminal.
- On weeknights from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., trains will run to and from Penn Station instead of Grand Central.
Hempstead Branch
- We’ve changed which trains stop at Elmont-UBS Arena, Queens Village, and Hollis stations during the morning peak. There will be four direct trains to Brooklyn from these stations each morning, up from one.
- The 5:50 a.m. weekday train from Hempstead will run to Penn Station instead of Grand Central.
- The 6:24 a.m. weekday train from Hempstead will run to Grand Central instead of Penn Station.
- The 8:32 a.m. weekday train from Hempstead will run to Atlantic Terminal instead of Penn Station.
Long Beach Branch
- The 6:16 a.m. weekday train from Long Beach will run to Atlantic Terminal instead of Grand Central, restoring direct service to Brooklyn on the branch.
- The 3:48 p.m. weekday train from Penn Station to Long Beach will leave at 3:23 p.m. to provide more evenly spaced service.
- On weekend mornings from midnight to 7 a.m., trains will run to and from Penn Station instead of Grand Central.
Montauk Branch
- There are no major changes on the Montauk Branch.
Oyster Bay Branch
- The 6:55 a.m. train from Oyster Bay will now depart at 7:01 a.m. and will no longer stop at Glen Cove, Sea Cliff, Greenvale, Albertson, or Mineola.
- Riders on the 7:17 a.m. train from Oyster Bay who are traveling to Penn Station will transfer to an empty train that originates at Jamaica, reducing crowding.
Port Jefferson Branch
- Two new morning peak local trains to Penn Station have been added, leaving Westbury at 6:34 a.m. and Hicksville at 8:14 a.m.
- Two morning peak trains from Huntington will run express from Syosset or Hicksville to Jamaica.
- The 4:59 a.m. train from Huntington will run to Atlantic Terminal instead of Grand Central and leave five minutes earlier, at 4:54 am.
- The 7:52 a.m. train from Mineola will start in Westbury and run to Atlantic Terminal instead of Grand Central. These trains restore direct service to Brooklyn on the branch.
Port Washington Branch
- The 6:08 and 6:11 p.m. weekday trains from Grand Central will be combined into one train, making all stops to Port Washington.
- On weeknights from 10:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., and on weekend mornings from midnight to 7 a.m., all trains will run to and from Penn Station instead of Grand Central.
Ronkonkoma Branch
- The 5:42 a.m. weekday train from Ronkonkoma to Penn Station will no longer run. Alternate trains are available 4 minutes earlier or 11 minutes later.
- A new weekday train will leave Penn Station at 2:55 p.m., stopping at Jamaica, Mineola, Hicksville, and all stops to Ronkonkoma except Pinelawn.
- The 4:09 p.m., 4:22 p.m., and 10:05 pm weekday trains will run from Penn Station instead of Grand Central.
- The 5:25 p.m. train from Penn Station to Brentwood will be extended to Central Islip and Ronkonkoma.
West Hempstead Branch
- The 6:26 a.m. weekday train from West Hempstead will run to Grand Central instead of Atlantic Terminal.
- The 7:01 p.m. weekday train from West Hempstead will no longer run east of Jamaica.