LIRR Announces Timetable Changes Due to Amtrak’s Penn Station Renewal and MTA’s East Side Access Work

As a result of multiple infrastructure projects, including Amtrak’s work at Penn Station to renew Track 18 and East Side Access work at Harold Interlocking, MTA Long Island Rail Road today announced new timetables will be in effect starting January 7 through March 3, 2019.

Amtrak’s work will limit the LIRR’s use of available track space in Penn Station. As a result of that and East Side Access work being done concurrently, the LIRR will divert or cancel seven of 144 morning rush trains and six of 130 evening rush trains. Five trains are being added before and after the rush period. By lengthening select trains, the LIRR is limiting the overall reduction in seating capacity to less than 1%.

These changes include: three morning peak trains to Penn Station will be diverted to Atlantic Terminal; one morning peak train to Penn Station will terminate in Jamaica; one morning peak train to Penn Station will not operate. In the evening rush, two trains will originate at Atlantic Terminal instead of Penn Station, one train will originate at Jamaica instead of Penn Station; two trains will not operate, and one evening reverse-peak train will be diverted to Atlantic Terminal.

In both the morning and evening rush hours, stops will be added to trains as necessary to preserve service opportunities from diverted or cancelled trains, and cars will be added to lengthen select existing trains.

To help offset these changes and maintain maximum capacity, two trains will be added to Penn Station in the early AM rush, as well as two trains added in the early afternoon from Penn Station, and one new peak train from Hunterspoint Avenue.

“Amtrak’s Penn Station renewal work is critical to the LIRR’s continued operation to Manhattan’s West Side, and needs to be done as quickly as possible,” LIRR President Phil Eng said. “We appreciate our customers’ patience as this important infrastructure work continues.”

Amtrak’s State of Good Repair work is ongoing, and these changes, or similar changes, are expected to be in effect through May. As work continues and planning is ongoing, the LIRR will be working closely with Amtrak to determine the best strategy to allow for these critical projects to progress while causing minimal impacts to LIRR customers. We will be informing customers as new information and updates become available.

The LIRR is planning a robust communications effort to make sure customers know their travel options ahead of time.

Beginning Monday, January 7, through Sunday, February 3, 2019, tracks and switches in Harold Interlocking will be taken out of service for preparation work for the creation of an East Side Access tunnel connection. To accommodate this work, schedules and station stopping patterns will be adjusted on some peak and reverse-peak trains, as well as associated connecting trains. During the PM peak, 11 trains across multiple branches will have minor schedule adjustments, departing up to two minutes earlier or later. Details are included in this release below, as well as in LIRR's timetables.

“East Side Access will bring much-needed expanded service and redundancy for LIRR customers wanting to access Manhattan, and this ongoing work will help us accomplish this goal with speed and efficiency,” MTA Chief Development Officer Janno Lieber said.

Some schedule adjustments will also take place on the Atlantic Branch to allow DOT to perform work at Atlantic Avenue. Other projects are continuing during this time, including Positive Train Control installation, West Side Yard overbuild, Hurricane Sandy Restoration work on the Long Beach Branch, and Jamaica Capacity improvements.