(Newsday posted the following article by John Valenti on its website on February 26.)
NEW YORK — Track work and construction programs, which began Monday on the Long Island Rail Road could affect some branches for months, LIRR announced.
Riders on some branches should expect delays and cancellations of trains during off-peak hours and on weekends, the rail road said. And riders on the main line east of Ronkonkoma may be forced to use provided buses for their commutes between now and May 18.
Work on various branches in the system includes track tie replacement, grade crossing renovations and other track maintenance, LIRR officials said.
Here is a look at how various branches will be affected:
Main Line, Ronkonkoma to Greenport: Four trains running between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m., two eastbound and two westbound, will be cancelled now until May 18. Customers on the 9:02 a.m. and 1:42 p.m. eastbound trains will be asked to board buses between Ronkonkoma and Southold to complete their trips. Westbound customers who normally use the 11:42 a.m. train from Greenport and the 3:16 p.m. train from Riverhead will be asked to board buses from Greenport through to Medford and be able to transfer to trains at Ronkonkoma Station.
LIRR officials said customers should allow themselves an additional 20 minutes of travel time on the routes and said the rail road may have to implement local and express bus service to Hicksville as needed.
Main Line, Jamaica to Manhattan: Officials said two of the four tracks between Jamaica and the East River Tunnels will be out of service on weekends for track tie replacement. Westbound trains will have up to three minutes added to their schedules, and on some weekends, westbound station platforms at Kew Gardens, Forest Hills and Woodside will not be accessible. Customers at these stations will be asked to use buses, rail road officials said.
Babylon, Far Rockaway, Long Beach and Montauk: Eastbound midday weekday trains on these four branches will operate up to two minutes earlier than normal. Westbound midday weekday trains on these branches will operate between 23 and 36 minutes earlier. Officials said this is being done due to track tie work on the Hempstead Branch.
Hempstead: One track will be out of service between Bellerose and Garden City for track tie replacement and grade crossing renovation at the New Hyde Park Road crossing in Garden City. Eastbound and westbound midday weekday trains will have an additional running time of two minutes, while eastbound trains on the branch will operate three minutes earlier. Westbound trains also will operate 23 minutes earlier than they do now.
Between April 16 and April 27, a busing program will also be in effect between Hempstead and Garden City.
Oyster Bay: Rail road officials said one track will be out of service for track tie replacement between Mineola and Locust Valley. Five midday weekday westbound trains will operate up to seven minutes later. Two midday weekday eastbound trains will operate up to 16 minutes later. The 12:10 p.m. eastbound train from Jamaica to Oyster Bay and the 1:28 p.m. westbound train from Oyster Bay will be cancelled.
Long Beach: Buses will replace trains on two successive Saturdays — March 3 and March 10 — for rail installation between Island Park and Long Beach, officials said. Travel time will be increased by 16 minutes and westbound buses will depart 16 minutes earlier from Long Beach than the scheduled trains do now.
Ronkonkoma: There will be no train service between Farmingdale and Ronkonkoma on March 31, as grade crossing renovation is completed at Commack Road. Eastbound customers will have to transfer to buses at Hicksville for service to Pinelawn through Ronkonkoma. Westbound customers from Ronkonkoma through Pinelawn will have to board buses at their usual stations then transfer to trains at Hicksville. Travel time will be increased by 42 minutes.
The rail road said customers at Bethpage and Farmingdale will have normal train service in both directions.
Central Branch, Babylon to Bethpage: The single track between these two stations will be out of service on March 24, for grade crossing work at Wellwood Avenue, officials said. Four trains that operate on the Central Branch will run that day on the Montauk Branch. The 1:02 a.m. train from Jamaica to Montauk will not stop at Hicksville. Customers travelling from Hicksville to Montauk will be asked to use bus service instead.
Rail road officials have recommended customers pick up new timetables, available now.