LIRR rider satisfaction on 8 of 11 branches drops

Riders on eight of the Long Island Rail Road’s 11 branches were less satisfied in the spring than they were in the fall, according to the LIRR’s latest customer survey.

Overall customer satisfaction remained at 70%, the same level as when the railroad last surveyed riders in November. That remains below the 81% rating that the railroad held throughout 2022, before it overhauled its service plan with the opening of Grand Central Madison in February of 2023.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority earlier this week released the results of the survey, taken by about 17,000 customers between April 18 and May 12.

Among the railroad’s 11 different branches, only those on the Babylon, Oyster Bay and Port Washington lines reported a higher satisfaction rating than in the fall.

Port Washington saw the biggest jump in satisfaction, from 60% in the fall to 76% — the highest of any branch. The MTA, in a statement, attributed the increase "to increased customer engagement and schedule adjustments made last fall." In November — days after the fall survey was taken — the LIRR restored some morning rush hour service to Grand Central that was eliminated weeks earlier.

Oyster Bay, which had the lowest satisfaction rating of any line at 55% in the fall survey, improved to 60%. Satisfaction among Babylon branch riders improved by one percentage point, from 68% to 69%.

But on the LIRR’s eight other branches — Far Rockaway, Hempstead, Port Jefferson, Long Beach, Montauk, Ronkonkoma, West Hempstead, and the City branch, satisfaction fell.

The biggest drop was on the West Hempstead branch, which saw satisfaction decrease from 71% in the fall to 63% in the spring. In March, the LIRR adjusted its service plan so that some trains ran to and from Penn Station, rather than Atlantic Terminal, as they had done previously.

The railroad also saw satisfaction fall in the categories of seat availability, from 71% to 69%; and cleanliness on trains, from 80% to 74%. The MTA noted that the decreases coincided with a steady increase in ridership, which is now at about 80% of pre-COVID-19 levels.

New LIRR president Robert Free has launched several initiatives aimed at improving customer satisfaction, including a new app that allows riders to report station bathroom conditions to cleaning crews in real time, and a plan to reduce transfers and improve on-time performance at Jamaica Station.

Commuters traveling into and out of Grand Central Madison are happier with LIRR service than those who use Penn Station, according to the survey. Among Grand Central Madison travelers, 74% reported being satisfied, up from 68% in the fall. Satisfaction held steady among Penn Station users at 69%.

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.