MNRR & LIRR Planned/Unplanned Service Changes

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

I made this thread because there isn't a planned/unplanned service change thread like the subway forum does. Since the railroad typically does not have as many reroutes or major delays as the subway, the thread will cover all of the lines and branches, and all planned/unplanned service changes.

 

Right Now, there is a partial suspension on the Port Jefferson Branch:

Port Jefferson Branch Customers
Service Change  Posted: 10/29/2017 10:33PM 

Port Jefferson Branch service is suspended between Stony Brook and Port Jefferson due to trees and power wires on the track. The LIRR is in the process of attempting to secure buses. 


Delays  Posted: 10/29/2017 10:52PM 

Westbound:

The 10:08PM train from Port Jefferson due Huntington at 10:55PM is being delayed west of Port Jefferson due to striking debris on the tracks.          

 

Eastbound:

The 10:03PM train from Huntington due Port Jefferson at 10:51PM is being delayed at Stony Brook due to trees and power wires on the track.         

[bobtehpanda]

They really need to upgrade the PJ to double track and full electrification. It's about time, and Stony Brook is probably one of the busier stops out in Suffolk.

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

Yesterday's weather cause a series of delays this morning on the railroads, but most of them are up and running. The New Canaan and Danbury Lines are still out of service, however, service on the New Canaan Line will start in about an hour. There is no timeline on the Danbury Line:

New Canaan Line Customers
Service Change  Posted: 10/30/2017  3:02PM 

New Canaan Branch service will resume with the 4:45 PM train out of Stamford making all local stops to New Canaan. This train departs Grand Central Terminal at 3:49 PM. We apologize for any inconvenience that you may have experienced as a result of this incident. 

Service Change  Posted: 10/30/2017 11:41AM 

Bus Service is currently being provided on the New Canaan Branch until further notice due to weather related issues. Please listen for announcements at your station. We will provide further details as they become available. 

 

Danbury Line Customers
Service Change  Posted: 10/30/2017  2:12PM 

Bus Service is currently being provided on the Danbury Branch until further notice due to earlier weather related issues. Bus service is currently Delayed. Please listen for announcements at your station. We will provide further details as they become available. 
 

 

Edited October 30, 2017 by BM5 via Woodhaven

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

12 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

They really need to upgrade the PJ to double track and full electrification. It's about time, and Stony Brook is probably one of the busier stops out in Suffolk.

Agreed. Have they done any study, or have they allocated money of any sort to a project like this yet?

[NY1635]

18 minutes ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

Agreed. Have they done any study, or have they allocated money of any sort to a project like this yet?

Sorta, money went into studying some north-south BRT from Stony Brook to Patchouge via Nicholls Road done by Suffolk Transit.

[FamousNYLover]

On Sunday, October 22nd, I helped out bus driver on Cradmen Coach Bus base out of Kingston, NY was during LIRR Shuttle Bus and he was doing the Carle Place/Westbury. He got lost.

[IAlam]

On 10/30/2017 at 2:51 AM, bobtehpanda said:

They really need to upgrade the PJ to double track and full electrification. It's about time, and Stony Brook is probably one of the busier stops out in Suffolk.

 

On 10/30/2017 at 3:32 PM, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

Agreed. Have they done any study, or have they allocated money of any sort to a project like this yet?

From what my Friends tell me the the 4pm,6pm, and 8pm trains are usually chaos. They tell me the 6pm is usually the worst. That train should just run to Jamaica as an express with the current train that runs local. 

[bobtehpanda]

On 10/30/2017 at 12:32 PM, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

Agreed. Have they done any study, or have they allocated money of any sort to a project like this yet?

The LIRR gave up on this when they bought the dual-mode locomotives.

The worst thing is that

1. They don't have enough of them

2. They're unreliable

3. There's no concrete plans for electrification

4. Despite the fact that they don't even have enough diesels to run their own service guidelines, the replacement plan for them calls for buying the exact same number of diesels.

I'm sure if the LIRR thought they could get away with it, they would be running trains to Port Washington, Ronkonkoma, and Babylon only. They don't care about the other branches.

[N6 Limited]

3 hours ago, bobtehpanda said:

I'm sure if the LIRR thought they could get away with it, they would be running trains to Port Washington, Ronkonkoma, and Babylon only. They don't care about the other branches.

Is that due to ridership? Do they use traffic checkers or do they go by ticket sales?

[bobtehpanda]

4 hours ago, N6 Limited said:

Is that due to ridership? Do they use traffic checkers or do they go by ticket sales?

Oh, no, they simply don't care. The LIRR has considered abandoning all East End service just because it can, and it violates its own service guidelines at diesel stations, which is part of the reason why ridership is so bad.

Ridership is of course very heavily concentrated on Ronkonkoma, but that's because they run all the damn service to Ronkonkoma. And really, if trains leave more frequently from Ronk and the slowest train from that station to Penn takes 1 hr 6 min, as opposed to the 1 hr 40 minute ride from Stony Brook directly due north, or Oakdale directly due south, of course everyone's going to drive to Ronkonkoma. And as icing on the cake, all the electrics from Ronkonkoma run much more reliably than the diesel service.

Edited November 12, 2017 by bobtehpanda

[N6 Limited]

On 11/11/2017 at 11:16 PM, bobtehpanda said:

Oh, no, they simply don't care. The LIRR has considered abandoning all East End service just because it can, and it violates its own service guidelines at diesel stations, which is part of the reason why ridership is so bad.

Ridership is of course very heavily concentrated on Ronkonkoma, but that's because they run all the damn service to Ronkonkoma. And really, if trains leave more frequently from Ronk and the slowest train from that station to Penn takes 1 hr 6 min, as opposed to the 1 hr 40 minute ride from Stony Brook directly due north, or Oakdale directly due south, of course everyone's going to drive to Ronkonkoma. And as icing on the cake, all the electrics from Ronkonkoma run much more reliably than the diesel service.

I see, so there are trips with the diesels that get canceled or heavily delayed due to mechanical problems?

I was looking at their ridership stats the other night. The most used lines are the Port Jefferson, Babylon and Port Washington. IIRC the Ronkonkoma line is 4th but has a higher fare recovery percentage.

[bobtehpanda]

22 minutes ago, N6 Limited said:

I see, so there are trips with the diesels that get canceled or heavily delayed due to mechanical problems?

I was looking at their ridership stats the other night. The most used lines are the Port Jefferson, Babylon and Port Washington. IIRC the Ronkonkoma line is 4th but has a higher fare recovery percentage.

All the time. Ronkonkoma is only so busy because they run all the service to it so everybody just goes there.

The LIRR's own service guidelines call for a station like Stony Brook to be served every hour off peak. Gaps between trains at Stony Brook in the schedule are 90-120 minutes. And this is before we consider the missed connections and all of that, and on top of that Huntington is probably the station worst set up for switching between diesels and electric.

[N6 Limited]

That switch at Huntington sucks in the winter. 

[N6 Limited]

Hempstead Branch Customers
Delays  Posted: 01/04/2018  7:25PM 
 

Eastbound trains continue to bypass Hillside Support Facility (for LIRR employees only), Hollis, and Queens Village due to winter weather conditions.    

 

The 7:09PM train from Hempstead due Atlantic Terminal at 8:00PM has been canceled due to winter weather conditions. Customers will be accommodated by the next westbound train.     

  -----------------------------------

Why do they have to bypass those stations? 

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

Shout out to the West Hempstead Branch, which was suspended, then restored with "limited service", only to be suspended 30 minutes afterward, earlier today.

MTA Service Status

Ronkonkoma Branch Customers
Service Change  Posted: 01/05/2018 12:05AM 
 

Service suspended on the Ronkonkoma Br in both directions btwn Deer Park & Ronkonkoma due to a broken rail near Central Islip. Buses are on scene. Customers are advised to use alt branches. The LIRR continues to experience system-wide delays averaging 30-45 min, as well as cancellations, due to winter weather conditions.         

Eastbound:     

The 10:42PM train from Penn due Ronkonkoma at 12:05AM has been canceled due to winter weather conditions. Customers will be accommodated by the 11:14PM train from Penn due Ronkonkoma at 12:37AM.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Additionally, Metro North will be running on a reduced schedule tomorrow, January 5th.

Metro-North Service Update

Metro-North to Operate Reduced Service Friday, January 5, Due to Impact of Winter Storm & Extremely Low Temperatures 

For Friday, January 5,  Metro-North is operating a reduced weekday schedule with some combined and cancelled trains due to the impact of the winter storm and extremely low termperatures on our train service and our infrastructure. Customers should anticipate delays and use caution when entering/exiting trains, and on platforms /staircases.

Please refer to the curent timetable and note the following trains are cancelled/combined:

Hudson Line

Inbound-AM PEAK:

The 7:11 am train from Greystone to GCT is combined with the 6:46 am train from Croton-Harmon, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.  

The 7:40 am train from Irvington to GCT is combined with the 7:38 am train from Croton-Harmon, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 8:20 am train from Irvington to GCT is combined with the 7:56 am train from Croton-Harmon, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.  

The 8:19 am train from Greystone to GCT is combined with the 8:12 am train from Croton-Harmon, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.  

The 8:46 am train from Greystone to GCT is combined with the 8:23 am train from Croton-Harmon, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.  

The 9:43 am train from Greystone to GCT is combined with the 9:31 am train from Croton-Harmon, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.  

The 10:11 am train from Greystone to GCT is combined with the 10 am train from Croton-Harmon, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.  

The 10:39 am train from Greystone to GCT is combined with the 10:31 am train from Croton-Harmon, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

Outbound-PM PEAK:

The 3:52 pm train from GCT to Greystone is combined with the 4:08 pm train to Croton-Harmon, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 5:11 pm train from GCT to Beacon is combined with the 5:08 pm train to Poughkeepsie, which will depart GCT at 5:11 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 5:23 pm train from GCT to Greystone is combined with the 5:20 pm train to Croton-Harmon, which will depart GCT at 5:23 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 5:43 pm train from GCT to Greystone is combined with the 5:40 pm train to Croton-Harmon, which will depart GCT at 5:43 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 6:03 pm train from GCT to Greystone is combined with the 6:00 pm train to Croton-Harmon, which will depart GCT at 6:03 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 7:28 pm train from GCT to Greystone is combined with the 7:25 pm train to Croton-Harmon, which will depart GCT at 7:28 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

 

Harlem Line

Inbound-AM PEAK:

The 6:36 am train from Crestwood to GCT is combined with the 6:19 am from North White Plains, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains. 

The 6:50 am train from Crestwood to GCT is combined with the 6:38 am from North White Plains, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains. 

The 7:19 am train from Crestwood to GCT is combined with the 6:17 am from North White Plains, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains. 

The 7:41 am train from Mt. Kisco to GCT is combined with the 7:21 am from North White Plains, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains. 

The 8:06 am train from Mt. Kisco to GCT is combined with the 7:51 am from Southeast, The 7:41 am from Mt. Kisco to GCT is combined with the 7:21 am from North White Plains, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.   

The 8:10 am train from Mt. Vernon West to GCT is combined with the 7:58 am from Crestwood, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 8:24 am train from Mt. Kisco to GCT is combined with the 8:07 am from Southeast, The 7:41 am from Mt. Kisco to GCT is combined with the 7:21 am from North White Plains, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.   

The 8:41 am train from Crestwood to GCT is combined with the 8:40 am from North White Plains, The 7:41 am from Mt. Kisco to GCT is combined with the 7:21 am from North White Plains, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.  

The 9:26 am train from Crestwood to GCT is combined with the 9:02 am from North White Plains, The 7:41 am from Mt. Kisco to GCT is combined with the 7:21 am from North White Plains, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.  

The 9:52 am train from Crestwood to GCT is combined with the 9:34 am from North White Plains, The 7:41 am from Mt. Kisco to GCT is combined with the 7:21 am from North White Plains, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

Outbound-PM PEAK:

The 4:48 pm train from GCT to Crestwood is combined with the 4:54 pm train to North White Plains, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 5:38 pm train from GCT to Crestwood is combined with the 5:40 pm train to North White Plains, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 5:49 pm train from GCT to Mt. Kisco is combined with the 5:44 pm train to Southeast, which will depart GCT at 5:49 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 5:58 pm train from GCT to Crestwood is combined with the 6:00 pm train to North White Plains, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 6:13 pm train from GCT to Mt. Kisco is combined with the 6:10 pm train to Brewster, which will depart GCT at 6:13 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 6:32 pm train from GCT to Mt. Kisco is combined with the 6:29 pm train to Southeast, which will depart GCT at 6:32 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 6:49 pm train from GCT to Mt. Vernon West is combined with the 6:38 pm train to North White Plains, which will depart GCT at 6:49 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 6:59 pm train from GCT to Mt. Kisco is combined with the 6:56 pm train to Southeast, which will depart GCT at 6:59 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 7:24 pm train from GCT to Mt. Kisco is combined with the 7:21 pm train to Southeast, which will depart GCT at 7:24 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

Inbound PM

The 8:16 pm train from Mt. Kisco to GCT is cancelled.  Passengers at Mt. Kisco, Chappaqua and Pleasantville may take the 8:09 pm train from Southeast, which stops at those stations 18 minutes later.  Passengers at stations between North White Plains and Fordham may take the 8:06 pm train from North White Plains, which stops at those stations 27 minutes earlier, or the 9:06 pm train from North White Plains, which stops at those stations 33 minutes later.

 

New Haven Line

Inbound-AM PEAK:

The 7:04 AM from New Rochelle is combined with the 6:30 AM from Stamford, which will make all stops of both trains.

The 6:49 AM from South Norwalk is combined with the 6:32 from Bridgeport, which will make all stops of both trains.

The 7:29 AM from Harrison is combined with the 6:32 AM from Bridgeport, which will make all stops of both trains.

The 7:51 AM from New Rochelle is combined with the 7:29 AM from Greenwich, which will make all stops of both trains.

The 8:17 AM from New Rochelle is combined with the 7:40 AM from Stamford, which will make all stops of both trains.

The 8:14 AM from Mamaroneck is combined with the 6:40 AM from New Haven, which will make all stops of both trains.

The 8:34 AM from Mamaroneck is combined with the 8:02 AM from Stamford, which will make all stops of both trains.

The 8:52 AM from Mamaroneck is combined with the 8:29 AM from South Norwalk, which will make all stops of both trains.

The 9:26 AM from Mamaroneck is combined with the 8:57 AM from Stamford, which will make all stops of both trains.

The 9:53 AM from Mamaroneck is combined with the 9:25 AM from Stamford, which will make all stops of both trains.

The 10:23 AM from Mamaroneck is combined with the 10:12 AM from Stamford, which will make all stops of both trains.

Outbound-PM PEAK:

The 5:21 pm train from GCT to New Rochelle is combined with the 5:18 pm train to Harrison, which will depart GCT at 5:21 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 5:33 pm train from GCT to Harrison is combined with the 5:37 pm train to Stamford, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 5:34 pm train from GCT to South Norwalk is combined with the 5:28 pm train to Bridgeport, which will depart GCT at 5:34 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 5:55 pm train from GCT to South Norwalk is combined with the 5:46 pm train to New Haven, which will depart GCT at 5:55 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 5:57 pm train from GCT to Harrison is combined with the 6:02 pm train to New Rochelle, which will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 6:20 pm train from GCT to Harrison is combined with the 6:19 pm train to Stamford, which will depart GCT at 6:20 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 6:35 pm train from GCT to South Norwalk is combined with the 6:32 pm train to New Haven, which will depart GCT at 6:35 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 6:42 pm train from GCT to Harrison is combined with the 6:39 pm train to Stamford, which will depart GCT at 6:42 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.

The 7:09 pm train from GCT to Harrison is combined with the 7:04 pm train to Stamford, which will depart GCT at 7:09 pm and will make all of the station stops of the two trains.
Inbound-PM

The 5:15 pm train from Harrison to GCT is cancelled.   Passengers may take the 5:01 pm train from Stamford to GCT, which serves the same station stops 9 minutes later.

The 6:22 pm train from Harrison to GCT is cancelled.  Passengers may take the 6:06 pm train from Stamford to GCT, which serves the same station stops 7 minutes later.

 

 

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I was going to take Metro-North this morning too, but on my way home yesterday on the 15:21 train from GCT, they made it clear why my train was almost 30 minutes late yesterday morning from the Spuyten Duyvil station.  There were two issues:

-Downed tree or trees either near or at the Riverdale station, cutting off service. Northbound, all Riverdale bound passengers were told to get off either at the Spuyten Duyvil station or the Yonkers station for service. If they went to the Yonkers station, they were told to wait there for the next Southbound train.

-Switching issues due to the inclement weather

 

[BM5 via Woodhaven]

Ronkonkoma Branch Customers
Suspended  Posted: 03/02/2018  6:31PM 

Oyster Bay, Pt Jeff, & Ronkonkoma srvc is suspended until further notice as a result of a fallen PSEGLI pole across the tracks near Westbury caused by storm-related issues. MTA PD are restricting access to Penn. Customers advised to delay traveling. Additionally, srvc is also suspended on the W Hempstead Br & east of Great Neck on the Pt Wash Br. 

Delays  Posted: 03/02/2018  5:48PM 
 

EASTBOUND:

The 4:54PM train from Penn due Farmingdale at 5:56PM is being delayed at Kew Gardens as a result of a fallen utility pole across the tracks near Westbury caused by today's Nor'easter. Thank you for your patience.

 

The 4:09PM train from Penn due Farmingdale at 5:04PM is being delayed at Mineola as a result of a fallen utility pole across the tracks near Westbury caused by today's Nor'easter. Thank you for your patience.

 

The 4:34PM train from Atlantic Terminal due Ronkonkoma at 5:57PM is being delayed near New Hyde Park as a result of a fallen utility pole across the tracks near Westbury caused by today's Nor'easter. Thank you for your patience.

 

The 4:24PM train from Penn due Ronkonkoma at 5:44PM is being delayed at New Hyde Park as a result of a fallen utility pole across the tracks near Westbury caused by today's Nor'easter. Thank you for your patience.

 

The 6:04PM train from Atlantic Terminal due Ronkonkoma at 7:27PM is canceled due to weather-related problems caused by today's Nor'easter. Customers will be accommodated by the next eastbound train. 

 

The 3:55PM train from Penn due Ronkonkoma at 5:16PM is delayed at Mineola due to a fallen utility pole across the tracks at Westbury due to today's Nor'easter. Thank you for your patience.

The 4:51PM train from Penn due Ronkonkoma at 6:04PM is being delayed at Jamaica Station as a result of a fallen utility pole across the tracks near Westbury caused by today's Nor'easter.       

 

 

WESTBOUND:

The 4:48PM train from Ronkonkoma due Penn at 6:08PM is being held prior to departure as a result of a fallen utility pole across the tracks near Westbury caused by today's Nor'easter. Thank you for your patience.

 

The 2:43PM train from Greenport due Ronkonkoma at 4:06PM, originated at Mattituck today due to a fallen tree across the tracks east of the station. It is operating 61 minutes late due to weather-related problems. Thank you for your patience.

 

The 4:11PM train from Ronkonkoma due Penn at 5:38PM is being held prior to departure due to weather-related problems caused by today's Nor'easter. 

 

New Canaan Line Customers
Service Change  Posted: 03/02/2018  5:27PM 

Substitute Bus Service will be provided on the New Canaan Branch for the 4:45 PM train from Stamford to New Canaan due to downed tree. Please listen for announcements at your station. 

Service Change  Posted: 03/02/2018  5:16PM 

Substitute Bus Service is currently being provided on the New Canaan Branch until further notice due to fallen trees on the tracks in the vicinity of New Canaan.  Please listen for announcements at your station.  We will provide further details as they become available. 

Edited March 2, 2018 by BM5 via Woodhaven

[checkmatechamp13]

17 minutes ago, BM5 via Woodhaven said:

Ronkonkoma Branch Customers

The 4:48PM train from Ronkonkoma due Penn at 6:08PM is being held prior to departure as a result of a fallen utility pole across the tracks near Westbury caused by today's Nor'easter. Thank you for your patience.

The 2:43PM train from Greenport due Ronkonkoma at 4:06PM, originated at Mattituck today due to a fallen tree across the tracks east of the station. It is operating 61 minutes late due to weather-related problems. Thank you for your patience.

The 4:11PM train from Ronkonkoma due Penn at 5:38PM is being held prior to departure due to weather-related problems caused by today's Nor'easter. 

6

I don't get why they had to hold both the 4:11PM & 4:48PM trains, instead of at least sending one to Farmingdale or Hicksville, to at least help out intra-island riders.

[NY1635]

23 minutes ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

I don't get why they had to hold both the 4:11PM & 4:48PM trains, instead of at least sending one to Farmingdale or Hicksville, to at least help out intra-island riders.

All the intra-island commuters use the NICE bus to get around. The LIRR is for getting in and out the Island as fast as possible.

[checkmatechamp13]

11 minutes ago, NY1635 said:

All the intra-island commuters use the NICE bus to get around. The LIRR is for getting in and out the Island as fast as possible.

SCT doesn't have any good routes running parallel to the LIRR, they only run as far as the next station. From Ronkonkoma to Central Islip is a circuitous 2 bus trip (S57-S54 or S57/59-3D) The 3D/S45 run from Central Islip to Brentwood, the S27 runs from Brentwood to Deer Park, the S33/2A/2B run from Deer Park/Tanger to Wyandanch, and then to get to Farmingdale, you have to stay on the 2B to reach the n70. Then to reach Hicksville you have to transfer again to the infrequent n80.

[B35 via Church]

11 minutes ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

SCT doesn't have any good routes running parallel to the LIRR, they only run as far as the next station. From Ronkonkoma to Central Islip is a circuitous 2 bus trip (S57-S54 or S57/59-3D) The 3D/S45 run from Central Islip to Brentwood, the S27 runs from Brentwood to Deer Park, the S33/2A/2B run from Deer Park/Tanger to Wyandanch, and then to get to Farmingdale, you have to stay on the 2B to reach the n70. Then to reach Hicksville you have to transfer again to the infrequent n80.

The S40 is the best you're going to get... No, it's not quite the B25 or the Q56, but the fact that it runs along the Montauk line is actually one of the reasons that route is prevalent/sought after as it is....

The S40-S66 combo might just be the most utilized xfer scenario b/w any 2 buses in the entire county....

Edited March 3, 2018 by B35 via Church

[NY1635]

46 minutes ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

SCT doesn't have any good routes running parallel to the LIRR, they only run as far as the next station. From Ronkonkoma to Central Islip is a circuitous 2 bus trip (S57-S54 or S57/59-3D) The 3D/S45 run from Central Islip to Brentwood, the S27 runs from Brentwood to Deer Park, the S33/2A/2B run from Deer Park/Tanger to Wyandanch, and then to get to Farmingdale, you have to stay on the 2B to reach the n70. Then to reach Hicksville you have to transfer again to the infrequent n80.

Intra-Island riders don't use the LIRR to begin with, so they're not really affected by the service changes on the railroad. SCT is mostly used by people trying to get around the county because they know the railroad is infrequent on all the non-Babylon Branch. It's always been Rush Hour commuters who pay the high Peak fares for travel between Penn Station and East of Hicksville who feel the full brunt of the delays and cancellations. When these things happen, those people tend to take the cab or Uber for that last leg of the trip home. 

 

[checkmatechamp13]

1 hour ago, B35 via Church said:

The S40 is the best you're going to get... No, it's not quite the B25 or the Q56, but the fact that it runs along the Montauk line is actually one of the reasons that route is prevalent/sought after as it is....

The S40-S66 combo might just be the most utilized xfer scenario b/w any 2 buses in the entire county....

I remember in a report a few years ago, they made a suggestion of a route paralleling the Main Line from (I think it was) Farmingdale to Ronkonkoma. What are your thoughts on that? Maybe some beefed-up version of the Suffolk Clipper that diverts to Ronkonkoma or something (and is extended further east somewhere. Maybe to Shirley or something). Or do you think it's futile (to get more ridership onto that route)?

17 minutes ago, NY1635 said:

Intra-Island riders don't use the LIRR to begin with, so they're not really affected by the service changes on the railroad. SCT is mostly used by people trying to get around the county because they know the railroad is infrequent on all the non-Babylon Branch. It's always been Rush Hour commuters who pay the high Peak fares for travel between Penn Station and East of Hicksville who feel the full brunt of the delays and cancellations. When these things happen, those people tend to take the cab or Uber for that last leg of the trip home. 

1

The LIRR is pick up-only or drop-off only like the express buses here in NYC. Intra-island riders can and do use the LIRR for intra-island trips. Are the bulk of riders bound to/from NYC? Sure, but you can't just ignore those intra-island riders just because you don't feel like having the train leave the terminal. 

[Mtatransit]

4 hours ago, NY1635 said:

Intra-Island riders don't use the LIRR to begin with, so they're not really affected by the service changes on the railroad. SCT is mostly used by people trying to get around the county because they know the railroad is infrequent on all the non-Babylon Branch. It's always been Rush Hour commuters who pay the high Peak fares for travel between Penn Station and East of Hicksville who feel the full brunt of the delays and cancellations. When these things happen, those people tend to take the cab or Uber for that last leg of the trip home. 

 

There is no way people will use the bus (if they even know it exist). Its hard to compete with LIRR $3.25 one zone fare. There are people geting on the train at Mineola and those intra island stations believe it or not.

[B35 via Church]

8 hours ago, NY1635 said:

Intra-Island riders don't use the LIRR to begin with, so they're not really affected by the service changes on the railroad. SCT is mostly used by people trying to get around the county because they know the railroad is infrequent on all the non-Babylon Branch. It's always been Rush Hour commuters who pay the high Peak fares for travel between Penn Station and East of Hicksville who feel the full brunt of the delays and cancellations. When these things happen, those people tend to take the cab or Uber for that last leg of the trip home.

If you truly believe that first statement, then I have to conclude that you're oblivious to just how much intra-island usage that exists.... It's to the point where you have people riding to LIRR Jamaica from the east, to xfer to some other branch of the RR to get to some other part of Nassau County..... Used to see people doing that all the time when I used to take the LIRR home..... The number of riders resorting to doing that nonsense should literally be zero if there was this complete shunning of intra-island usage.....

SCT is mostly utilized by those that are trying to get to areas that aren't really near any RR station.... SCT is less of a substitute for the RR than it is for a car & I don't really see that dynamic changing if service east of Babylon, Ronkonkoma, and Huntington (respectively) weren't as deplorable as they are...... Nassau county gets all the flack for being so pro-car, when actually, Suffolk county patrons in that regard are worse!! IDK how many "when I get my car" or "my car's gotta get fixed", or "my _______ (insert familial relationship here) got the car" stories/mentions I've heard whilst utilizing SCT..... So I'm not exactly buying that SCT gets most the usage that it gets, due to poor RR service.....

7 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

I remember in a report a few years ago, they made a suggestion of a route paralleling the Main Line from (I think it was) Farmingdale to Ronkonkoma. What are your thoughts on that? Maybe some beefed-up version of the Suffolk Clipper that diverts to Ronkonkoma or something (and is extended further east somewhere. Maybe to Shirley or something). Or do you think it's futile (to get more ridership onto that route)?

Unfortunately, I think it's futile.... Such a route would have to make too many mid-route diversions for it to really be useful.....

7 hours ago, checkmatechamp13 said:

The LIRR is pick up-only or drop-off only like the express buses here in NYC. Intra-island riders can and do use the LIRR for intra-island trips. Are the bulk of riders bound to/from NYC? Sure, but you can't just ignore those intra-island riders just because you don't feel like having the train leave the terminal. 

I agree with you... The RR still needs to account for people riding between (or within) Nassau & Suffolk.....