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Oyster Festival Weekend
Long Island’s largest waterfront street-fair takes place on the weekend of October 13 and 14.  That’s when the Oyster Festival takes over the streets of Oyster Bay and the LIRR is the best way to get there. We will provide additional trains to and from the Festival, which is directly adjacent to the Oyster Bay LIRR Station. For those traveling from the east, there will be shuttle buses from the Syosset Station on the Port Jefferson Branch. 
The LIRR’s Oyster Festival Package Ticket is the best buy, including discounted round-trip rail fare, vouchers for three free oysters on the half-shell for adults, and free admission to “The Slide” for the kids.  Be sure to get your round-trip ticket before boarding the train to save time and money. Package not available on-board trains.  While you’re at the Festival, be sure to visit the Oyster Bay Railroad Museum food tent.  For further LIRR information check out our website. For a schedule of Festival events visit theoysterfestival.org.

 

Fall Fun! In The City & On LI
It’s that time of year again!  And the LIRR is your best way to get to one of the major Halloween attractions in the City. LIRR deals include up to 40% savings. “Blood Manor”, a first-class haunted attraction located downtown at 163 Varick Street, is comprised of 5,000 square feet of themed rooms and a labyrinth of passageways designed to maximize one's fears. 
Wear your walking shoes; the journey through “Blood Manor” is not a ride--it’s on foot. “Blood Manor” is designed to be intense, creepy and scream inducing and is not recommended for those under 14 years of age. “Blood Manor” is open through November 3. The last LIRR Long Island Wine Adventure of the year takes place on Saturday, October 20.  Enjoy a fun day with live entertainment at the Baiting Hollow Farm Vineyard. The LIRR Package ticket includes discounted round-trip rail fare, two one-way bus vouchers, and coupons including 10% off any product in the tasting house. 
Additional attractions include horse and pony rides and Long Island Vodka located right next door. For further information on these two New York City and Long Island getaways check out the LIRR website.

 

Waiting Room Hours Extended at 41 Stations
Just in time for the colder, sometimes inclement weather in the months ahead, the LIRR is keeping a total of 41 station waiting rooms open longer for the convenience of customers under a new pilot program. The extended hours mean the doors of the waiting rooms will be kept open until 10 PM on weeknights, allowing customers a respite from the weather. The expansion of the waiting room hours was a collaborative effort with the Long Island Rail Road Commuter’s Council. The decision to expand the program follows a pilot involving 20 stations that began earlier this year. 
“This is another effort to strengthen customer service at the railroad,” said LIRR President Helena Williams.
LIRR Commuter’s Council Chairman Mark Epstein called the initiative “a significant step forward to provide all riders with a safe, clean and convenient place to await the next leg of their trips.”  For a complete list of the affected stations check our website or look for the station signs.

 

Working To Take The Slip Out of Fall
Fall weather means another season of “slip-slide” at the LIRR and for most other railroads in the Northeast. Crushed leaves, along with rain and morning dew, often result in a slick substance, called pectin, on LIRR tracks roughly equivalent to the icy roads faced by motorists during the winter months. Over the years this seasonal condition has resulted in late trains during autumn and early winter, and sometimes results in certain cars not platforming properly.
We’ve taken a number of steps to ease the severity of “slip-slide” in recent years through a successful proactive approach: we utilize a special train that shoots a high-pressure stream of water on the rails to remove pectin and apply an anti-slip substance; our diesel trains drop a sand mixture (called sandite) on tracks to help reduce wheel slippage; and special applicators at several heavily trafficked locations spray sandite on the rails. 
We have also enhanced our vegetation management program along our tracks as a preventive measure.  We’re also keeping a computerized record of the slippery spots reported by train crews in order to address those specific areas ASAP. At times, however, we may need to slow trains down for safety. 

 

A Note on Escalators
A group of older LIRR station escalators have undergone major overhauls, with the final three escalators expected to return to service at the Baldwin, Copiague and Wantagh Stations by mid-November. In all, 11 escalators at Long Island stations underwent major rehabilitation starting earlier this year. Improvements included new, modern safety sensors, refurbished steps, step chains, brakes, and other part upgrades. A new Elevator & Escalator Operations group staffed by qualified elevator and escalator inspectors is now keeping a close eye on these units to enhance safety and reliability.

 

LIRR Remembers Veteran's Day
On Saturday, November 10, just before Veterans Day, the Long Island Rail Road has a special rail-bus escorted package ticket that affords customers the opportunity to honor their loved ones at the Calverton National Cemetery.  The package includes round-trip rail and bus transportation to the cemetery. For complete information on this special One-Day Getaway please call 511 and say LIRR or visit our website.

 

Interested in LIRR History?
Do you know how many LIRR presidents there have been in the railroad’s 178-year history? How about the name of the U.S. President who was in office when the railroad was first founded? Do you know the name of the famous cartoon duo that the LIRR used to advertise its services more than 50 years ago? If you know the answer to these questions, congratulations, you’re an LIRR history buff.
If you don’t know, that’s okay too, because you now have the opportunity to learn the answers and gain insight into LIRR history. For rail and history fans, we have a limited number of copies of the booklet “The Long Island Rail Road: From Many To One & The Leaders Who Made It So”. To request a copy (only one per person), please send an e-mail to mgcharl@lirr.org.

 

September OTP
Overall OTP for September was 95%.

Monthly OTP BRANCH	AM Peak	PM Peak	Off- Peak	Total September 2012	Total September 2011
Babylon	93.9%	94.8%	94.9%	94.7%	90.8%
Far Rockaway	96.2%	99.4%	99.2%	98.9%	94.4%
Hicksville/Huntington	95.4%	92.1%	95.4%	95.0%	88.4%
Hempstead	96.3%	97.7%	97.8%	97.6%	94.5%
Long Beach	97.1%	97.4%	95.1%	95.7%	93.5%
Montauk	95.4%	85.1%	92.3%	92.0%	88.9%
Oyster Bay	94.0%	93.9%	94.4%	94.2%	92.4%
Port Jefferson	92.1%	88.0%	88.9%	89.3%	88.2%
Port Washington	95.6%	93.6%	96.3%	95.9%	92.7%
Ronkonkoma/Greenport	95.6%	93.3%	92.6%	93.2%	87.1%
West Hempstead	95.8%	94.7%	98.4%	97.2%	94.1%
TOTAL	95.1%	94.0%	95.2%	95.0%	91.1%

 

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