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    1. Rail

    Overnight Track Work Will Alter Service on Babylon, Far Rockaway and West Hempstead

    March 1, 2016
    Service on the Long Island Rail Road’s Babylon, Far Rockaway and West Hempstead branches will be impacted by overnight track work beginning at 11 p.m. Friday, March 4 and ending at 5 a.m. on Saturday, March 6, and resuming again at 11 p.m. on Saturday
    Related To: Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NY MTA)

    Service on the Long Island Rail Road’s Babylon, Far Rockaway and West Hempstead branches will be impacted by overnight track work beginning at 11 p.m. Friday, March 4 and ending at 5 a.m. on Saturday, March 6, and resuming again at 11 p.m. on Saturday until 5 a.m. Sunday, March 6.

    As always, scheduled maintenance on the LIRR is carried out during off-peak hours or on weekends. For this project, Railroad crews will be delivering new, continuous-welded rail to sites along the right-of-way between Jamaica and Rockville Centre in preparation for new track and tie installation in April and May.

    Customers who use the LIRR’s Babylon, Far Rockaway or West Hempstead branches during these overnight hours on Saturday and Sunday should consult the Special Timetable for each branch for travel beginning at 11 p.m. Friday through Saturday at 5 a.m. and again from about 11 p.m. on Saturday through 5 a.m. Sunday. Here is a summary of the key changes.

    Babylon Branch

    Eastbound

    • The 12:01 a.m. train from Penn Station is canceled. Customers can take the 11:39 p.m. (on Friday only) or the 12:39 a.m. train to Babylon with a change at Jamaica.
    • Customers taking the 1:42 a.m. train from Atlantic Terminal will have a 20 minute wait at Jamaica for connecting service to Babylon, but will not stop at Valley Stream.
    • The 2:39 a.m. train from Penn Station will depart five minutes later at 2:44 a.m.

    Westbound

    • On Friday, March 4, the 11:14 p.m. from Babylon scheduled to arrive at Penn Station at 12:29 a.m. is canceled. Customers can take the 11:12 p.m. or 11:51 p.m. instead.
    • On Saturday and Sunday, the 1:23 a.m. westbound train from Babylon will not stop at Valley Stream, Rosedale, Laurelton or Locust Manor. Customers looking to travel to these stations will detrain at Rockville Centre for bus service to their destination.

    Far Rockaway Branch

    Eastbound

    • A 1:42 a.m. from Penn Station is added to operate directly to Far Rockaway, making stops at Jamaica, Valley Stream and all local stops to Far Rockaway.
    • The 1:42 a.m. train from Penn Station to Babylon will operate 20 minutes later and skip its regular stop at Valley Stream. Customer at Valley Steam who normally board this train for service to Babylon, will be provided with van service.

    Westbound

    • A 1:40 a.m. train from Far Rockaway will operate directly to Penn Station making all local stops including Rosedale, Laurelton, Locust Manor, Jamaica, Kew Gardens, Forest Hills and Woodside.

    West Hempstead Branch

    Eastbound

    • Buses will replace the 11:11 p.m. Friday train from Valley Stream to West Hempstead. Customers will board buses at Valley Stream.
    • Buses will replace the 12:55 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday morning from Valley Stream to West Hempstead. Customers will board buses at Valley Stream.

    Westbound

    • Buses will replace the 11:46 p.m. Friday night train from West Hempstead. Customers at stations West Hempstead through Westwood will board buses to Rockville Centre, where train service will resume to all points west. In this instance, Fare Zone 4 tickets will be accepted from West Hempstead Branch customers boarding at Rockville Centre, which is in Zone 7.