Service disruptions: LIRR upgrade project

The Long Island Rail Road Thursday will announce the details of a switch and signal modernization project in Babylon that will cause major service disruptions Saturday and Sunday.

The project will upgrade Babylon's switches and signals to a new microprocessor-based system that LIRR officials say will be more efficient and reliable.

As final testing for the project is under way, there will be no train service between Freeport and Babylon from Saturday at 4 a.m. until Sunday at 10 p.m.

Shuttle buses will replace trains between the two stations.

Riders seeking to avoid the 25-minute bus ride between the two stations are encouraged to use stations unaffected by the project, including Bethpage, Deer Park, Hicksville, Farmingdale and Wyandanch, LIRR President Helena Williams said Thursday.

"The railroad is open for business. We welcome our regular weekend customers," Williams said.

The so-called "cutover" is the fourth major project of its kind since 2008. The LIRR aims to eventually control all switches and signals over its 700 miles of track, from one centralized location at its Jamaica headquarters.