Headways On LIRR during rush hour (Lowest to Highest in my opinion)

[67thAve]

1. Babylon-5 min.

2. Port Jefferson-15 min.

3. Ronkonkama-30 min

4. Port Washington-30 min.

5. Hempstead-1 hr.

6. Far Rockaway-1 hr

7. Long Beach-1 hr

8. Montauk-1.5 hrs.

9. Oyster Bay-1.5 hrs

10. West Hempstead- 2 hrs.

11. Belmont Park (Obiously)-364 days(365 leap years)

[Forest Glen]

I'm pretty sure the Hempstead Branch doesn't have hourly service during rush hour

[EE Broadway Local]

While Babylon Branch service is frequent, I don't think it's as close as five minutes all the time.

[Matt91]

No offense man, but this list is horribly innacurate. Not only do you have to consider the reverse-peak headways (some of which are horrrendous), but also the fact that not all stations are served by all of a branch's trains (ie zone expresses on the south shore) and some stations are served more frequently and/or by multiple branches. On a side note, the PJ branch has on average a 30 min headway peak direction during rush hours, with 15-20 at times.

[lilbluefoxie]

No offense man, but this list is horribly innacurate. Not only do you have to consider the reverse-peak headways (some of which are horrrendous), but also the fact that not all stations are served by all of a branch's trains (ie zone expresses on the south shore) and some stations are served more frequently and/or by multiple branches. On a side note, the PJ branch has on average a 30 min headway peak direction during rush hours, with 15-20 at times.

 

Yea, particularly the babylon branch which has a unique skip stop arrangement where some trains will only stop at 3-4 stops on the line.

[Jamaica Express]

1. Babylon-5 min.

2. Port Jefferson-15 min.

3. Ronkonkama-30 min

4. Port Washington-30 min.

5. Hempstead-1 hr.

6. Far Rockaway-1 hr

7. Long Beach-1 hr

8. Montauk-1.5 hrs.

9. Oyster Bay-1.5 hrs

10. West Hempstead- 2 hrs.

11. Belmont Park (Obiously)-364 days(365 leap years)

 

Not exactly, Commuter train schedules arent put together like rapid transit systems. Most rail systems have some sort of uniformed scheduling, but the LIRR seems to just send train where ever the capacity is needed most. 6:45AM to about 8:00AM and 4:45 to 6:15 PM are the heights of rush hours. so headway are shortest at these times for most branches. Shoulder peak hrs are the hrs right before and after, when rush hr is just getting started or just ending, thats where headway grow longer and trains begin making more stops.

 

This is just an estimate based on from what I've seen on timetables, these are based on the peak direction of trains headed to/from Jamaica,Flatbush and Penn

 

1. Babylon Branch has mostly zone expresses (that mostly make 3 to 7 stops) many trains to/from NYP bypass Jamaica

Trains originate/terminate in Freeport, Wantagh, Massepequa Park and Babylon during Rush Hrs. Most Zones see a Penn Station service frequency of anywhere from 12 to 20 minutes. There are some points during the rush where frequency is under 10 minutes, but one of the trains is usually a local or semi express to Brooklyn.

2.Port Jefferson Branch has service roughly every 30 min in diesel territory and about every 15 to 20 min in electric territory, stations Hicksville thru Carle Place may have more or less when you take into account that some stations are served by trains from the Ronkonkoma Branch

3. General Service on the Ronkokoma Branch ranges from every 15 to 25 mins (there are a few exceptions.)

4.Port Washington is every 10 to 20 min

5. Hempstead is roughly every 15 to 20 min

6.Far Rockaway is roughly every 10 to 25 min

7.Long Beach is roughly every 10 to 20 min

8. Montauk inner branch (Speonk & stations west) is about every 15 to 30 min..the outter portion of the Branch which isn't really a commuter territory has 1 peak train in the AM in 2 in the PM (im sure service probably expands during the summer months though)

9.Oyster Bay is every 30 to 35 minutes

10. West Hempstead, Im not sure, but I would saw probably every 20 min at the height of rush hr and then every 45 during shoulder peak hrs

 

Usually when theres a headway under 10 min for any line, its usually one train headed to NYP followed by a train to Bklyn or vice versa.

[TheKorean]

Yea, particularly the babylon branch which has a unique skip stop arrangement where some trains will only stop at 3-4 stops on the line.

 

Arent those trains that head to Montauk or do they actually terminate at Babylon?

 

And whats up with terminating at Freeport?

[Matt91]

Arent those trains that head to Montauk or do they actually terminate at Babylon?

 

And whats up with terminating at Freeport?

 

Most trains that head to Montauk use the central branch and go express from Jamaica to Babylon. 1 train originates at Babylon during the week, the peak AM from Montauk to LIC goes via the central but stops at Hicksville and Mineola, and 1 train during late nights makes a stop at Hicksville. The trains that terminate or originate at Freeport, Wantagh, Seaford, or Mass Park are zone expresses, where they make only a few stops along the line and terminate at their respective stations. This is to control crowding and congestion. During middays, every other train (not including trains that connect to or from Patchogue/Speonk trains) terminates in Freeport due to single-tracking/construction between Wantagh and Babylon.

[67thAve]

I actully took aan M7 Babylon Branch train during rush hour for Montauk. At Babylon, a transfer was required for the train origionating from the station.

[MTR Admiralty]

1. Babylon-5 min.

2. Port Jefferson-15 min.

3. Ronkonkama-30 min

4. Port Washington-30 min.

5. Hempstead-1 hr.

6. Far Rockaway-1 hr

7. Long Beach-1 hr

8. Montauk-1.5 hrs.

9. Oyster Bay-1.5 hrs

10. West Hempstead- 2 hrs.

11. Belmont Park (Obiously)-364 days(365 leap years)

Did you get this from looking at timetables?

[67thAve]

Yes.

[MTR Admiralty]

Yes.

Yeah, what is exactly printed on the timetables are not always exactly followed. Like what others said, the LIRR sends X more trains to areas that really need service. It's a very complex system.

[Jamaica Express]

Arent those trains that head to Montauk or do they actually terminate at Babylon?

 

And whats up with terminating at Freeport?

 

Most trains to Montauk run exp from Jamaica to Babylon via the Babylon Branch or Mainline & Central Branches. None of these trains make stops on the Babylon Branch..except for Babylon. Most don't make any mainline stops either..theres one or two that may stop at Mineola or Hicksville..but other than that everything is exp to babylon. However I remember on New Years Eve they ran one dual mode train from Penn that made every stop on the Babylon Branch from Jamaica to Speonk

 

As far as the terminating at Freeport...like I said the Babylon Branch is the busiest in the system..so most trains can't handle more than 3 stops...the zones in western Nassau County along the line are super busy which is why most trains terminate/originate at stations in the middle of the branch(Crowd control, I've seen a 12-car set SRO by its 3rd stop). Many trains also start and end in Freeport because there is a layover yard east of the station.