New LIRR schedules reduce off-peak Grand Central Madison trains, increase Penn Station service

The Long Island Rail Road’s president on Monday announced major changes to its schedule coming in September that he says should cut back on transfer wait times and give more commuters direct rides to where they’re headed as officials figure out a proper service plan a year-and-a-half after the opening of Grand Central Madison.

The new timetables, which take effect on Sept. 3, will increase the number of direct morning trains to Brooklyn and scale back the number of off-peak trains serving Grand Central, in favor of extra service at Penn Station, where demand remains significantly higher, LIRR officials said.

The full schedules will be published on the MTA’s website and on the TrainTime app in mid-August.

LIRR President Robert Free, talking to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s railroad committee Monday, said the changes came after LIRR officials "looked at a ton of data" with the key goal of improving on-time performance at its most critical junction, Jamaica Station.

Upon the opening of Grand Central Madison in February 2023, the LIRR did away with scheduled transfers, meaning trains no longer wait for connections at Jamaica. The change has inconvenienced scores of customers, particularly those on the Oyster Bay line, where missing a train could mean waiting hours for the next one.

Free said the railroad, whose on-time performance goals have historically focused on trains’ final destinations, is taking the "truly unprecedented" step of looking to boost punctuality at a midpoint, Jamaica. Free wants at least 70% of rush hour trains to arrive at Jamaica within three minutes of their scheduled times — about 14 percentage points better than they do now in the morning rush, and 10 percentage points better than in the evening peak.

To that end, the railroad is making several changes in its September schedule, including adding a direct morning train from Oyster Bay to Penn Station and shifting some off-peak trains from Grand Central to Penn Station — the destination of about 72% of travelers outside the rush hours.

The LIRR will make other changes aimed at improving punctuality and reducing wait times at Jamaica, including adding personnel at stations to be "more pushy in getting trains out" close to schedule.

Kara Gurl, planning and advocacy manager for the MTA Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee, which includes the LIRR Commuter Council, applauded the railroad for tweaking its service plan, especially to address the concerns of Oyster Bay customers.

"Continuing to listen to riders and making adjustments to the schedule is the key to improving satisfaction," Gurl said.