New express trains on Oyster Bay Branch of LIRR applauded by some, derided by others

The introduction of express trains on the Oyster Bay rail line is being trumpeted by LIRR and elected officials as a service improvement, but derided by some commuters as a service cut.

Long Island Rail Road interim president Catherine Rinaldi joined Assemb. Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove) and Glen Cove Mayor Pamela Panzenbeck at the Glen Street station Tuesday to celebrate the forthcoming service changes, which Rinaldi said “came as the result of a lot of conversations and in-person meetings” with Oyster Bay commuters and representatives.

The changes, which take effect Sept. 5, aim to shorten travel times for Oyster Bay branch travelers by eliminating some local stops. For example, the 6:55 a.m. train from Oyster Bay to Hunterspoint Avenue will instead depart at 7:01, but shave several minutes off its travel time by skipping stops at Glen Cove, Sea Cliff, Greenvale, Albertson and Mineola.

“This marks the very first time in modern history that we will be offering a.m. peak express service on the branch,” said Rinaldi, who acknowledged that “there were a lot of disappointed people on the Oyster Bay Branch” when the railroad’s overhauled service plan  for the opening of Grand Central Madison earlier this year did not come with significant improvements for Oyster Bay riders.

“We heard that. We listened,” Rinaldi said.

But the streamlined trips will come at the expense of commuters like Elizabeth Ames, who lives three blocks from Glen Cove station, one of the stops being bypassed in the new express service.

“It’s a service cutback for a number of us,” said Ames, who noted that the change comes as the railroad recently raised its fares. “I don’t understand the point of this. Why is this a good thing? It’s only a good thing if you happen to be on the [stops] they’re keeping.”

Rinaldi said the new service was a pilot program, and that the railroad would monitor the service and make changes if necessary. She also noted that there are “parking options along the branch,” so commuters living near one station may be able to drive to another one. 

Greenvale commuter Jeffry Brown, in an email to Lavine that he also sent to Newsday, said that the changes mean he’ll have to pay $120 a month for a municipal parking permit to use another station.

“Public policies should encourage people to take mass transit,” Brown wrote. “This proposed schedule change does the opposite.”

Lavine noted that the changes have won the support of many other Oyster Bay commuters, including those who circulated a petition for service improvements on the branch that got more than 2,000 signatures.

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.