LIRR: Saturday service suspended between New Hyde Park and Hicksville

Long Island Rail Road officials are reminding passengers that train service will be suspended between New Hyde Park and Hicksville on Saturday and trains will run less frequently on Sunday as the railroad rebuilds a complex of switches at the Mineola station.

“As part of the LIRR Forward plan we are bringing a focus to repairing, replacing or renewing places within our infrastructure that can cause delays,” said LIRR President Phil Eng. “This important work to rebuild these switches will help us reduce delays and improve service. We thank our customers for all of their patience as we do this work.”

LIRR officials said in a news release that there will be no train service at New Hyde Park, Merillon Avenue, Carle Place, or Westbury on Saturday.

In addition, “Oyster Bay trains will terminate and originate at Mineola Station where connecting bus service will take customers to/from Hempstead for train service. NICE Bus will cross-honor LIRR tickets between Mineola and Hicksville from 12 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, until 12 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 29, between Mineola and Hicksville in both directions on N22/N24 routes. Mineola customers may also use the Oyster Bay Line.”

On Sunday, one of two tracks will be operating on that segment of the system, and fewer trains will run on the Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch.

LIRR officials are doubling service on the Hempstead branch to accommodate travelers.

They said that westbound customers traveling on the Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma branches may switch to a shuttle at Hicksville, then a special train from Babylon to Penn Station with transfer available at Jamaica for travel to Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn.

Eastbound Port Jefferson and Ronkonkoma branch travelers to all stations east of Hicksville may board trains to Babylon for a connecting train to Hicksville, then change again for continuing service.

On the Oyster Bay branch on Saturday, trains will end and begin in Mineola and eastbound customers destined for the branch's stations may ride the Hempstead line to Hempstead, change for a bus to Mineola and then board a train to Oyster Bay stations.

Westbound Oyster Bay Branch customers may change at Mineola to NICE Bus routes N40 or N41 for service to Hempstead, then take half-hourly westbound trains from Hempstead to westbound locations.

On Sundays, trains will run on adjusted schedules and have affected connections, officials said.