(The following story by John Valenti appeared on the Newsday website on November 20.)
NEW YORK — The Long Island Rail Road will add trains on the Babylon Branch, Port Washington Branch, Far Rockaway Branch and Port Jefferson Branch for Thanksgiving Eve. A total of eight additional trains will be in service, officials said.
The railroad will also add extra trains for customers bound for the Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan and will feature all-day-long off-peak fares — including so-called “Family Fare” discount packages — on Friday, which is considered to be the busiest shopping day of the year.
The additional Thanksgiving Eve trains are:
# Port Jefferson Branch — A 2:09 p.m. train stopping at Jamaica, Carle Place and making all stops to Huntington; a 2:25 p.m. train stopping at Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Jamaica, New Hyde Park and then making all stops to Huntington; and a 3:24 p.m. train stopping at Jamaica, Mineola, Westbury and Hicksville.
# Babylon Branch — A 2:22 p.m. express train to Lynbrook, then making all stops to Babylon; a 3 p.m. train stopping at Jamaica and Rockville Centre, then making all stops to Babylon; a 3:31 p.m. express train to Rockville Centre, then making all stops to Babylon.
# Port Washington Branch — A 3:40 p.m. stopping at Woodside and Flushing, then making all stops to Great Neck.
# Far Rockaway Branch — A 3:48 p.m. express train to Locust Manor, then making all stops to Far Rockaway.
On Thanksgiving Day, the railroad will add 10 additional eastbound trains from Penn Station between 11:52 a.m. and 2:03 p.m., three of them on the Babylon Branch, four on the Ronkonkoma Branch, two on the Port Jefferson Branch and one on the Montauk Branch to Speonk. There also will be additional westbound trains for those attending the parade. Those are as follows:
# Babylon Branch — The railroad is adding a 7:13 a.m. and a 7:43 a.m. train out of Wantagh, making all stops to Lynbrook, Jamaica and Penn Station.
# Montauk Branch — A 6:08 a.m. train from Speonk, making all stops to Babylon, Jamaica and Penn Station.
# Ronkonkoma Branch — A 6:27 a.m. and a 7:10 a.m. train will be added out of Ronkonkoma, each making all stops to Hicksville, Mineola, Jamaica and Penn Station.
# Port Jefferson Branch — A 6:27 a.m. train will be added, making all stops to Huntington, Jamaica and Penn Station.
For further schedule or fare information, riders can contact the LIRR Travel Information Center at 1-631-231-LIRR (Suffolk), 1-516-822-LIRR (Nassau) or 1-718-217-LIRR (New York City). The number for the hearing impaired is: 1-718-558-3022. Customers can also use the Web site at www.mta.info.