LIRR train service to be suspended, replaced by buses, this weekend

Long Island Rail Road customers planning to ride the Far Rockaway Branch this Sunday are advised to allow up to an hour extra travel time as buses replace trains during the resurfacing of a key switching point.

Buses will replace trains on the Far Rockaway Branch from 12:15 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 28, through 1:40 a.m. Monday, Aug.

The work will require the suspension of train service between Far Rockaway and Valley Stream for a little over 25 hours and entails the realignment of track and switches on the western end of Valley Stream, resulting in a smoother ride and better service reliability.

On Saturday at night the last eastbound departure before the service suspension will be the 11:10 p.m. from Penn Station, scheduled to arrive in Far Rockaway at 12:05 a.m. Sunday. Also on Saturday night, the last westbound departure before the service suspension will be the 11:50 p.m. train from Far Rockaway, scheduled to arrive at Penn Station at 12:44 a.m.

Eastbound
After 12: 15 a.m. Sunday, eastbound customers will travel by train as far as Valley Stream and then board buses to complete the rest of their journey, arriving at their destinations up to 34 minutes later than usual.

In addition, due to track work on the main line, the train scheduled to depart Penn Station for Far Rockaway at 12:16 a.m., will leave Penn 15 minutes earlier at 12:01 a.m.

Westbound
Westbound customers will board buses up to 51 minutes later than usual at their home stations to Valley Stream where train service will resume. Passengers can expect to arrive at their destinations up to 60 minutes later than usual.

Passengers taking the westbound train that normally departs Far Rockaway at 12:42 a.m., Inwood at 12:46 a.m., Lawrence at 12:48 a.m., Cedarhurst at 12:51 a.m., Woodmere at 12:54 a.m., Hewlett at 12:56 a.m. and Gibson at 12:59 a.m. will change at Valley Stream for local bus service to Rosedale, Laurelton and Locust Manor.

Passengers taking the westbound train that normally departs Far Rockaway at 1:38 a.m. will instead board buses to Jamaica where train service will resume.

Far Rockaway customers can consult the LIRR’s website at www.mta.info/lirr or contact the LIRR's Travel Information Center at (718) 217-LIRR (5477). If you are deaf or hard of hearing, use your preferred relay service provider or the free 711 relay to reach LIRR.