Long Island, NY - May 11, 2016 - To get you in the summer spirit, MTA Long Island Rail Road is introducing new system-wide train timetables on Monday, May 23 featuring traditional seasonal service enhancements such as the mighty Montauk Cannonball, the fastest way to the East End, as well as a number of new options that should be welcomed by the weekend traveler. The new train schedules will remain in effect through Monday, September 5, 2016.
Cannonball Service Kicks Off on Friday, May 27
The Cannonball, of course, is the popular 4:06 p.m. Friday departure from Penn Station, featuring the LIRR’s premier Hamptons Reserve service, that gets you to Westhampton in 95 minutes and returns on Sundays, leaving Montauk at 6:37 p.m. You get to your destination quickly with the added comfort of a reserved seat as well as at-your-seat bar service. Hamptons Reserve seating is limited to the first three passenger cars and available only by advance reservation.
Eastbound Service - $49.25 in advance
Departs Fridays – 4:06 p.m. from Penn Station - May 27th through September 2nd. For the 4th of July holiday weekend the Cannonball East will depart on Friday, July 1.
Westbound Service - $41.50 in advance
Departs Sundays at 6:37 p.m. from Montauk, East Hampton at 7:01pm, Bridgehampton at 7:10 p.m., Southampton at 7:20 p.m., Hampton Bays at 7:31 p.m. and Westhampton at 7:39 p.m., then express to Jamaica arriving at 9:10 p.m. and then on to Penn for a 9:31 p.m. arrival.
More Summer Service Improvements
Extra Service to Montauk, the Hamptons and Long Island’s South Fork
- 12:43 p.m. from Jamaica to Speonk every weekday.
- 4:06 p.m. from Penn Station to Montauk on Thursdays.
- 1:47 p.m. on Fridays from Hunterspoint Ave. to Montauk; 5:09 p.m. on Fridays from Penn Station to Montauk and the 7:38 p.m. on Fridays from Jamaica to Montauk - all in addition to the Cannonball.
Extra Service to Fire Island Destinations (Summer Fridays July 1 – September 2)
- 8:04 a.m. from Jamaica and 10:59 a.m. from Penn Station making stops at Babylon, Bay Shore, Sayville and Patchogue for connections to ferry service to Fire Island. These special Fire Island trains will run just ahead of Montauk service in order to relieve crowding on the trains bound for the East End.
Extra Service to Greenport and Long Island’s North Fork
- 5:21 p.m. Friday train from Ronkonkoma to Yaphank will be extended to Greenport beginning May 27.
- 8:38 p.m. from Greenport making all stops to Ronkonkoma, then stopping at Jamaica for connections to points west.
Extra Weekend Service to Freeport & Jones Beach
- 7:45 a.m., 9:45 a.m., 11:45 a.m. eastbound trains from Penn Station to Freeport with bus transfers available for Jones Beach, and for the return home,
- 5:48 p.m. and the 6:21 p.m. westbound trains from Freeport to Penn Station.
Extra Weekend Service to Long Beach
- 10:09 a.m. EXTRA from Penn Station to Long Beach
- 4:57 p.m. EXTRA from Long Beach to Penn Station.
Extra Sunday & Holiday Service to Hunterspoint Ave. & Long Island City
- 4 p.m. summer Sunday and holiday departure from Montauk will operate through to Hunterspoint Ave. station and Long Island City station instead of terminating at Jamaica.
Timetable Adjustments Due to Scheduled Track Work & Construction
Service on the following branches will be adjusted, in some cases with buses or vans replacing trains and customers departing earlier than usual and arriving later than usual over one or two-day periods. Customers should consult the special branch timetables for each project.
Far Rockaway, Long Beach & West Hempstead Branches
Weekend schedules on the Far Rockaway, Long Beach and West Hempstead branches will be adjusted from 1 to 5 minutes, depending on the branch, for 48 hours over three consecutive weekends, June 4-5, June 18-19, and June 25-26 while one of two main tracks is out of service between Jamaica and Valley Stream for waterproofing of the 150th St. Bridge in Jamaica.
Most westbound Far Rockaway trains will depart up to 5 minutes earlier. All westbound West Hempstead trains will depart 5 minutes earlier from stations West Hempstead thru Westwood.
Oyster Bay Branch
On Saturday, June 18, buses will replace trains on the Oyster Bay Branch between Mineola and Oyster Bay for track resurfacing during an eight hour period 12:39 a.m. to 8:39 a.m. on Saturday, June 18.
Eastbound
Customers will depart Penn Station 11 minutes earlier than normal, and will transfer to buses at Mineola for service to stations East Williston through Oyster Bay, with increased travel time up to 33 minutes.
Westbound
Customers will board buses at stations Oyster Bay through East Williston, then transfer to trains at Mineola. Buses will depart up to 64 minutes later than normal train service with increased travel times of up to 27 minutes.
Also on Saturday, June 18, van service will replace trains on the Oyster Bay Branch between Oyster Bay and Locust Valley beginning at 9:30 a.m. for 28 hours through 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 19. Eastbound customers will experience up to 14 minutes additional travel time. Westbound customers will depart Oyster Bay up to 15 minutes earlier than normal.
Port Washington Branch
Service on the branch will be reduced from half-hourly to hourly between Great Neck and Penn Station for 12 hours on Saturday, June 4 from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for completion of drainage work related to the new Colonial Road Bridge project.
Eastbound
Buses will replace trains eastbound between Great Neck and Port Washington. Customers can expect up to 25 minutes of additional travel time.
Westbound
Customers traveling from Port Washington, Plandome and Manhasset will board buses for Great Neck where they will transfer for train service to points west. Customers will board buses up to 25 minutes earlier than normal at Port Washington, Plandome and Manhasset.
Long Beach Branch – Weekday Service Change
As a result of post-Super Storm Sandy restoration work, five eastbound Long Beach Branch trains will depart Penn Station 30 minutes earlier than usual. The trains that usually depart at 9:41 AM, 10:41 AM, 11:41 AM, 12:41 PM and 1:41 PM will instead depart at 10:11 AM, 11:11 AM, 12:11 PM, 1:11 PM and 2:11 PM