It’s Summer--Take the Train to Get Away
For most of the year we know that a lot of you associate the LIRR with work but for the next three months you have the chance to change that association to one that gets you away from work---to a mini-vacation.
This season the LIRR has four new summer Getaways, with now over 20 escorted and unescorted sightseeing tours, travel packages and deals. Customers can enjoy discounted packages to Long Island wineries, the Great South Bay Music Festival, the Seafood & Music Festival in Sayville and the Long Island Scottish Festival plus many more. Old favorites are also available including the Montauk Lighthouse, the Nautical Mile and the Sunday Brunch Cruise. Don’t forget the “old standby”---a day at one of Long Island’s world class beaches.
There are LIRR beach specials to Jones Beach, Long Beach, and Fire Island beaches. And this year the Jones Beach Theater concert service has been restored. Check the NICE website at for details. For LIRR Getaways and beach specials information consult the LIRR website at.
Splish Splash
A very popular getaway returns this summer season, daily beginning June 18. The LIRR Splish Splash Package includes discounted round-trip rail to/from Ronkonkoma Station, connecting shuttle bus and admission to Splish Splash. Voted one of America’s top five water parks by the Travel Channel, Splish Splash, located in Riverhead, features many one-of-a-kind water rides as well as water slides, wavepools and kiddie areas. For further information pick up a Splish Splash Water Park brochure at LIRR stations.
Extra Independence Holiday Service
On Tuesday, July 3, the LIRR will operate nine additional eastbound trains from Penn Station for those leaving early for the July 4th Holiday. The extra trains will depart between 2:08 PM and 3:48 PM on the Babylon, Far Rockaway, Port Jefferson and Port Washington branches. Trains to Montauk and Greenport will operate on a summer Friday schedule. See branch timetables for details.
Quiet Cars Program Expanded
Following a successful pilot, the LIRR’s Quiet Car Program will be expanded to include all electric trains as of June 18. On Quiet Cars we ask that customers keep their conversations to a whisper, turn down the volume on hand-held electronics, lower their headphone volume and put cell phones on vibrate. The program is voluntary in nature, with customers monitoring themselves. Crew members in the designated Quiet Cars hand out special "Shh" cards to those who are non-compliant. The Quiet Car will be the head car on morning rush hour trains and the last car on evening rush hour trains. The program will only be in effect during AM and PM rush hours.
Mail&Ride Customers Recognized by LIRR
Four LIRR customers have been recognized for their participation in the Railroad’s popular monthly ticket home-delivery service--Mail&Ride. Certificates were presented to two veteran commuters: 37-year Mail&Ride charter members, James Marsano of Port Washington and Stephen Singer, who commutes from Great Neck. Two of the newest Mail&Ride subscribers were also on hand: Jason Lynn of Huntington and Maribel Valdes, a Lynbrook commuter.
Along with the official recognition, the four Mail&Ride members received tickets to the Broadway show “Spiderman,” courtesy of the show’s producers. Celebrating almost 40 years of service with more than 35,000 subscribers, Mail&Ride offers customers worry-free convenience. Signing up is quick and easy. To get started, go to www.mta.info/lirr and choose the Mail&Ride option in the “Ways to Pay” box located on the lower left side of the LIRR’s homepage.
Pay Attention, Be Safe, Stay Safe
Have you noticed a lot of customers are absorbed in other things, especially the screens of electronic devices, when they should be alert and watching out for their own safety and those of others, especially when navigating around trains and station platforms? In case you happen to know someone who fits this description here are tips that we urge you to follow:
- Take a break from the cell phone and text messaging until you’re safely on or off your train.
- Look down, and carefully step over the gap every time you enter or exit the train.
- Pay attention to audio and visual station announcements.
- Look down when using stairs or escalators.
Thank you for paying attention and staying safe.
East Side Access Work Means Summer Service Changes
Starting Monday, July 9, work associated with the LIRR’s East Side Access Project will affect eastbound evening rush hour service for up to one month. As a tunnel boring machine performs excavation work on the Queens side of the East River Tunnels, an important switch (Switch 813) will be taken out of service, resulting in the cancellation/combination of three evening rush hour trains, two on the Babylon Branch and one on the Long Beach Branch.
In addition, the schedules and stopping patterns of five other evening rush hour trains will be modified. This construction program has been designed to allow train schedules to return to normal in the event that the tunneling and trackwork is completed earlier than anticipated. The loss of Switch 813 and the access it provides to one of our eastbound tracks will temporarily reduce the LIRR’s operational flexibility and significantly increase the impact of a service disruption should one occur. To provide a level of protection to operations, the LIRR will deploy added rescue equipment and personnel during the period that the switch and eastbound track are unavailable.
The three cancelled trains are:
- The 4:52 PM train from Penn Station to Babylon will be canceled. Customers will be on the 5:03 PM train from Penn Station, making all stops to Babylon.
- The 5:20 PM train from Penn Station to Long Beach will be canceled. Customers will be on the 5:23 PM train from Penn Station stopping at Jamaica, then all stops to Long Beach.
- The 5:40 PM train from Penn Station to Seaford will be canceled. Customers will be on the 5:47 PM train from Penn Station, which will make all stops to Seaford. Customers on some Babylon Branch trains will experience up to 20 minutes of additional travel time.
Special schedules will be available for customers in early July.
May OTP
May overall on-time performance was 95.35%.
| Monthly OTP BRANCH |
AM Peak |
PM Peak |
Off- Peak |
Total May 2012 |
Total May 2011 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Babylon | 97.4% | 92.3% | 94.5% | 94.7% | 94.0% |
| Far Rockaway | 98.4% | 94.4% | 98.7% | 98.1% | 97.2% |
| Hicksville/Huntington | 96.7% | 89.3% | 96.7% | 95.7% | 92.7% |
| Hempstead | 98.6% | 93.9% | 98.8% | 98.2% | 97.4% |
| Long Beach | 97.9% | 94.6% | 97.3% | 97.1% | 96.0% |
| Montauk | 96.0% | 88.0% | 90.6% | 91.0% | 87.7% |
| Oyster Bay | 94.8% | 92.4% | 96.1% | 95.4% | 94.6% |
| Port Jefferson | 93.8% | 89.6% | 93.6% | 93.1% | 91.5% |
| Port Washington | 94.7% | 94.5% | 96.2% | 95.7% | 95.6% |
| Ronkonkoma/Greenport | 91.7% | 94.2% | 92.9% | 92.8% | 91.5% |
| West Hempstead | 96.4% | 94.7% | 98.8% | 97.6% | 95.5% |
| TOTAL | 96.0% | 92.7% | 95.7% | 95.4% | 94.0% |
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