Montauk "Cannonball" Non-Stop Express to the Hamptons to Leave from Penn Station - A First for the LIRR
New schedules effective Monday, May 20 will include major service enhancements for Montauk Branch customers. Those looking for the fastest and most direct way to the Hamptons on summer Friday afternoons will find their dream ride leaving Penn Station aboard the LIRR’s re-launched ‘Cannonball’ train, which will depart from Manhattan for the first time in LIRR history. The Railroad’s fastest train to the East End will run non-stop from Manhattan, arriving 94 minutes later in Westhampton with follow up stops at Southampton, East Hampton Bridgehampton and Montauk. That’s a one-seat ride from Midtown to Montauk with the availability of reserved seating for an extra charge. The Cannonball will depart every Friday from Penn Station at 4:07 PM, arriving in Westhampton by 5:41 PM.
On Sunday evenings, the LIRR will introduce the Cannonball (West), bringing customers back from Montauk to Penn Station, including a nonstop run from Westhampton to Jamaica and then on to Penn. The new Cannonball service is set to launch on Friday, May 24.
The new Cannonball service is part of a larger effort to improve Montauk service to meet growing demand. On weekdays, a new eastbound train to Speonk will depart Jamaica at 12:43 PM. In addition, a westbound weekday train that previously originated from Patchogue will now begin its trip from Speonk at 3:05 PM. Ferry service from Bay Shore, Sayville and Patchogue will benefit from this new schedule. These new trains will run weekdays from late May through mid-October to close a gap in afternoon service to meet growing customer demand for service to/from Fire Island and the Hamptons.
For more info on Hamptons Service visit mta.info/lirr/hamptons. For detailed information on the new Montauk schedules, please go to mta.info/lirr.
Help People in Need
Since Superstorm Sandy, supplies at local food banks have dwindled. To help fight hunger on Long Island, the LIRR and Island Harvest Food Bank are joining forces. Commuters can participate by dropping off non-perishable canned goods at select railroad stations on Thursday, May 9. Donation bins will be available from 6 AM - 10 AM at Ronkonkoma, Hicksville and Mineola. Island Harvest will make sure the donations get to where they are needed most. For more information, link to www.islandharvest.org.
Customer Recounts Lifesaving Efforts by LIRR Personnel
It was on a Huntington-bound PM Peak train at Penn Station on April 3, 2003, when Richard Kossmann suffered a near-fatal heart attack. The now 79-year old Syosset resident recently recalled how the train crew and MTA Police used CPR and an automatic external defibrillator (AED) to restore his heartbeat. Kossmann was one of the first LIRR customers saved by MTA Police using an AED, a medical device now widely available throughout the LIRR and its sister railroad Metro North. On the tenth anniversary of his lifesaving experience, Kossmann credited a fellow passenger, Paul Bayer, who started CPR, the train’s crew and MTA Police for bringing him back to life. He was eventually taken to a hospital where doctors corrected the blockage that caused his heart attack. “We are proud of the life-saving work by MTA Police Officers and LIRR crewmembers who came to Mr. Kossmann’s aid,” said LIRR president Helena Williams. “We always say the safety of our passengers is our No. 1 priority and their actions gave life – literally in this case – to that motto.”
MTA Police have saved 21 people using the AED since the portable devices were first deployed in 2002. The LIRR recognizes the train crewmembers and MTA PD Officers who came to Richard Kossmann’s aid a decade ago. They are: Sgt. Michael Costanza (now retired), Officers Christopher Arena, Leyland Crocilla, Kenneth Jenkins, Richard Lagnese and Patrick Riedel, Conductor Rose Ballou, Engineer Carrisa Lastra and Assistant Conductor Brian Ballou. Remember, if you’re feeling ill onboard a train, contact a crewmember or have a fellow passenger alert them ASAP. Your safety is our number one priority.
New Timetables in Effect May 20 for All Branches
In spring, a Railroader’s fancy turns to plans of sprucing up our stations and fixing up our right-of-way. Getting the work done requires some not-so-poetic schedule adjustments. Massapequa Station rehabilitation work will result in midday and weekend changes on the Babylon and Long Beach branches. Patchogue and Mastic grade crossing modernization means buses will replace trains between Sayville and Montauk on Saturday, May 4.
Courtesy Does Matter
Just a reminder for you that might make your trip and someone else’s a bit more pleasant. When your train is crowded, that seat where you’ve placed your various carry-on items may just be the one that will make someone’s else’s long day just a bit easier. Please place carry-on items like your loaded briefcase or packages on the overhead racks or under your seat. Your fellow commuters will appreciate it and so will we. Thanks.
Food, Food, Glorious Food!
Attention foodies: the LIRR has your getaway! Discover some of the newest and coolest eateries, food shops and chocolatiers in Manhattan’strendy Soho and NoLita neighborhoods while tasting some of the most delicious desserts and wines ever created. That includes artisanal chocolate truffles, bonbons, European cheeses, decadent pastries and more. There’s still time to sign up for the City Food escorted Wine & Chocolate Tasting Tour on May 3. The LIRR discount package includes off-peak round trip rail fare and the escorted Tour with savings of up to 40%. Tickets for this One-Day Getaway are available at staffed LIRR ticket offices and gray, green or blue ticket machines. For further information, consult www.mta.info/lirr.
March OTP
March overall on-time-performance was 95.52%.
| Monthly OTP BRANCH |
AM Peak |
PM Peak |
Off- Peak |
Total March 2013 |
Total March 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babylon | 82.3% | 90.3% | 92.4% | 90.3% | 96.0% |
| Far Rockaway | 84.4% | 93.7% | 97.6% | 95.5% | 97.2% |
| Hicksville/Huntington | 86.0% | 95.2% | 91.8% | 91.5% | 95.4% |
| Hempstead | 89.5% | 97.4% | 96.8% | 95.9% | 97.7% |
| Long Beach | 86.5% | 92.2% | 94.3% | 92.9% | 96.9% |
| Montauk | 85.7% | 93.8% | 93.6% | 92.6% | 94.5% |
| Oyster Bay | 87.1% | 94.4% | 92.3% | 91.7% | 96.5% |
| Port Jefferson | 86.3% | 86.4% | 91.1% | 89.7% | 93.9% |
| Port Washington | 85.5% | 96.0% | 97.6% | 95.6% | 97.6% |
| Greenport/Ronkonkoma | 87.0% | 93.3% | 89.7% | 89.7% | 93.7% |
| West Hempstead | 88.6% | 91.3% | 97.3% | 94.6% | 97.0% |
| TOTAL | 85.5% | 93.1% | 93.9% | 92.5% | 96.1% |
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