Added Weekday Montauk Service Begins May 19 Ahead of Summer Service, Which Starts May 22
Two Sunday Montauk Trains Extended to Operate to Penn Station Offers New One-Seat Ride Opportunities
Two New Early Morning Weekday Trains Enhance Service to Grand Central Madison
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced new Long Island Rail Road summer service options for the Montauk Branch and adjusted schedules systemwide to accommodate multiple track work programs. The new schedules, which will be in effect from May 19 to Sept. 1, introduce new weekday Montauk service. The 5:13 p.m. train from Penn Station to Speonk, which normally operates to Montauk on summer Thursdays and Fridays, will now operate to Montauk, making all stops, Monday through Friday throughout the summer. This gives East End travelers more options to travel at their convenience and helps disperse ridership to Montauk throughout the week. This service is in addition to the weekend summer Montauk service starting Thursday, May 22.
For service to the city from Montauk, the 11:37 a.m. and 4:18 p.m. Sunday Montauk Branch trains that normally terminate in Jamaica will operate through to Penn Station, offering customers more one-seat rides. These trains will operate on all Sundays except on holiday weekends, when they operate on Mondays (i.e. Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend).
“We’re excited to offer more travel options for our customers, as we always strive to improve the customer experience,” said MTA Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free. “During summer months on the Montauk branch, a 5:13 p.m. train that normally only operates to Montauk on Thursdays and Fridays will now run Monday through Friday; two Sunday trains will now be a direct ride into Penn Station; and for the early morning commuters, we’re enhancing service to Grand Central Madison by adding two trains in the 5 o’clock hour – all in addition to schedule adjustments that accommodate track work taking place throughout the system to improve our service.”
To accommodate peak ridership months from May to September, the LIRR will reopen the western end of both platforms of the Babylon Station as scheduled to accommodate greater passenger flow. The Babylon Station serves as a transfer point to/from Montauk trains for non-direct trains. The opening of the platforms mark completion of Phase 1 of the ADA Babylon Rehabilitation project which began last year in September. The remaining half of each platform will close for construction in September 2025.
Elsewhere on the railroad, two new early morning trains will operate from Jamaica to Grand Central Madison on weekdays for greater transfer opportunities. The trains will depart Jamaica at 5:07 a.m. and 5:18 a.m. On the Long Beach Branch, the 7:44 p.m. train from Penn Station to Long Beach will make an added stop at Lynbrook.
On the Port Washington Branch, one of two main tracks will be taken out of service during the weekday midday to support track surfacing between Mets-Willets Point station and Bayside station. As such, service at Mets-Willets Point, Murray Hill, Broadway, Auburndale, and Plandome will be reduced to hourly intervals temporarily. Service to/from Mets-Willets Point will be returned to normal intervals during Mets weekday afternoon games. Additionally, as common practice, the LIRR will add more stops to Mets-Willets Point in August to supplement service to US Open events.
Other projects supported during this timetable include East River Tunnel Hurricane Sandy Rehabilitation, Jamaica Capacity Improvements, LIRR rail replacement and maintenance in Brooklyn, and ADA Station Rehabilitation at Babylon, Hollis and Forest Hills stations. Changes in schedules are mainly service pattern shifts and customers are advised to check the TrainTime app before traveling for possible new departure times. The new schedules are available online and in the TrainTime app.