MTA announces schedule changes for LIRR to begin in January

Some Long Island Rail Road commuters will need to adjust their rush hour routines next year under newly announced schedule changes that go into effect Monday, Jan. 22.

MTA officials said the moves, which have trains on several branches departing slightly earlier, were made to accommodate rider requests and better align departure times with ridership data. New afternoon through trains from Brooklyn are also expected to be added.

“We consistently monitor ridership and customer feedback to best accommodate the patterns we were seeing as quickly as possible,” acting LIRR President Rob Free said in a statement. “The January schedule is designed to create the best possible commute for our customers.”

Highlighted changes will impact riders on six LIRR branches and feature a change in departure time for seven trains and the elimination of three runs from one branch, according to the MTA. In each departure-time change, the trains will leave a handful of minutes earlier.

The Babylon Branch will see the most change, with the 5:49 a.m. train from Babylon to Grand Central moved up three minutes along with the elimination of two morning runs and another in the evening due to low ridership. The 7:41 a.m. train from Penn Station to Massapequa and the 9:06 a.m. train from Wantagh to Grand Central will both be eliminated with the 8:42 a.m. train from Babylon to Penn Station making the stops of both trains east of Jamaica and accepting off-peak tickets. The 7:02 p.m. train from Penn Station to Wantagh will also no longer run and the 6:57 p.m. train from Penn Station will now make all stops between Rockville Centre and Babylon.

Changes on the Hempstead Branch will impact afternoon and evening commutes only. The 3:35 p.m. train from Grand Central to Hempstead will depart from Atlantic Terminal at 3:31 p.m. The 6:39 p.m. train from Penn Station to Hempstead will depart from Atlantic Terminal at 6:38 p.m. Those trains will arrive and leave from Tracks 11 or 12 in Jamaica.

Similarly, there will be two evening time changes on the West Hempstead Branch with the 6:11 p.m. train from Penn Station departing from Atlantic Terminal at 6:09 p.m. The 6:39 p.m. train from Atlantic Terminal to West Hempstead will depart from Penn Station at 6:40 p.m.

The most dramatic departure-time change will occur on the Oyster Bay Branch with the 4:42 p.m. train to Jamaica leaving seven minutes earlier at 4:35 p.m.

Riders on the Port Jefferson Branch should be aware that the 6:57 a.m. train from Huntington to Grand Central will be split into two trains. The train from Huntington will run nonstop to Jamaica, then proceed to Woodside and Grand Central Madison with a new train starting at Hicksville for local service to Grand Central.

The one change highlighted on the Far Rockaway Branch shows the 4:49 p.m. train from Penn Station departing from Atlantic Terminal at 4:46 p.m. and will not stop at Nostrand Avenue or East New York.

The MTA said a more detailed schedule will be released in January. Commuters are advised to check for additional minor changes.

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.