Infrastructure work to cause delays in LIRR service

Buses will replace train service for Long Island Rail Road customers traveling between Long Beach and Valley Stream the weekend of May 15-16 as work is completed on the construction of two new railroad bridges over Powell Creek and Hog Island Channel. The $24.5-million project, which is funded through the MTA Capital Budget and federal grants, began in March and is wrapping up as planned in time to accommodate the weekend beach crowds expected in Long Beach beginning Memorial Day weekend.

"Our workers have
been doing a remarkable job keeping this project on time despite some very
adverse weather conditions, especially in March," said LIRR President
Helena E. Williams. "We are also grateful to our customers for their
patience on the weekends when the work required us to suspend train service and
substitute buses. The new bridges are part of the railroad’s ongoing efforts to
modernize its infrastructure and ensure safe and reliable service for decades
to come."

Both the Powell Creek
Bridge (located between the LIRR’s East Rockaway and Oceanside Stations) and
the Hog Island Channel Bridge (located between Oceanside and Island Park
Stations) were built in the 1920s, and have served the LIRR well for nearly 90
years. The old Powell Creek and Hog Island Bridges are open-deck wooden and
steel structures supported by wooden piles through which water is visible
below. They were replaced with pre-cast concrete structures, supported by
reinforced concrete-filled, steel pipe piles, which will provide safer,
closed-deck concrete roadbeds.

LIRR customers are
advised to pay special attention to the new May 17 schedules as they include
train cancellations and other adjustments related to budget reductions.
Additional timetable changes are necessary to accommodate spring and summer
track work and construction projects.

Port Washington Branch. 
With
the completion of track tie replacement work between Woodside and Bayside,
half-hourly midday service has been restored on weekdays. Departure time will
be moved 10 minutes earlier to accommodate track work between Bayside and Great
Neck. However, beginning September 13, 2010 as part of the service reductions
being implemented for the 2010 budget, the half-hourly weekday off-peak and
weekend Port Washington branch service will be reduced to hourly service.

Babylon Branch
. One of two
tracks will be out of service between Valley Stream and Wantagh during midday
weekdays as a track tie replacement program gets under way. One Babylon local
train will operate in each direction each hour. The second local train will
originate and terminate in Freeport every other hour. Express service to and
from Babylon has been increased to hourly with added stops at Merrick,
Bellmore, Wantagh and Massapequa. Train departure times will be adjusted
between two and 22 minutes. The work on this stretch of track will continue
until September 10. Additional work, and its associated affect on midday
service, will be performed on another stretch of track on the Babylon Branch
beginning with schedules that take effect September 13.

Brooklyn
. During the
overnight period, one of two tracks will be out of service for track work. This
requires later departure and arrival times (up to 8 minutes later) for three
overnight trains.

Ronkonkoma Branch (east
of Ronkonkoma). 
The single track between Ronkonkoma and Greenport will be out
of service midday on weekdays May 17-21 to accommodate a grade crossing
modernization project at Horton’s Lane in Southold. While the work takes place,
buses will replace two eastbound midday trains and two westbound midday trains.

Port Jefferson Branch
. Some
midday weekday trains will depart seven minutes earlier or three minutes later
due to a track work program between Hicksville and Cold Spring Harbor.