MTA shifts LIRR schedules across all lines starting November 9
Maintenance work on tracks and station upgrades will alter midday and weekend service patterns, with some changes extending through late November.
By Hugo Cook ·
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will alter service patterns on every Long Island Rail Road line beginning November 9, 2026.
The changes result from track maintenance and station accessibility improvements. Commute service during peak hours remains unchanged. Adjustments apply to midday weekday trains and weekend operations.
On the Hempstead line, the 6:34 a.m. train from Westbury to Penn Station will stop serving Elmont-UBS Arena. Passengers using that stop must seek alternative routes to reach Manhattan in the morning.
The Montauk line sees a shift in early morning service. The train currently departing Speonk at 5:47 a.m. for Long Island City will instead start in Hampton Bays at 5:30 a.m. This change provides an additional morning option for residents of Hampton Bays and Westhampton. A direct year-round service from Penn Station to Montauk remains available for $24.
Weekend service on the Port Jefferson line gains a new local train departing Hicksville at 4:33 p.m. The return trip from Penn Station will leave at 10:02 p.m. On the Ronkonkoma line, the 6:27 a.m. train to Grand Central will depart two minutes earlier. The Greenport line will resume midday weekday service east of Ronkonkoma on November 23.
In the city terminal zone, the 7:18 p.m. Grand Central to Long Beach train will leave one minute earlier and add a stop in Kew Gardens. Service between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn will return to a frequency of one train every 20 minutes during the midday period.
The Babylon line undergoes phased changes. On November 14, weekend service will restore direct connections from stations east of Massapequa to Grand Central. Two local trains will run hourly between Manhattan and Babylon, one to Penn Station and one to Grand Central. Express trains between Babylon and Penn Station will stop only in Jamaica, Freeport, and Babylon to facilitate transfers to Montauk line services. A special midday weekday schedule will apply from November 9 to 20 due to track work between Amityville and Lindenhurst. The new weekday midday schedule takes effect November 23.
Source: El Diario La Prensa
