Transit Blogger

LIRR Service Info Update 05-19-26

Transit Blogger — Tue, 19 May 2026 15:58:20 +0000

Here is the latest service info update I was sent by the MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to share with my readers:

he Long Island Rail Road strike has ended, and limited service will resume on Tuesday, May 19. Customers should continue to work from home on Tuesday if possible. The first trains will operate on the Babylon, Huntington, Port Washington, and Ronkonkoma branches, with service on the other branches resuming shortly after that. The first trains to operate are as follows:

Babylon Branch

12:14 p.m. from Babylon to Penn Station‌ ‌
12:22 p.m. from Penn Station to Babylon‌

Huntington/Port Jefferson Branch

12:17 p.m. from Huntington to Penn Station‌
12:10 p.m. from Penn Station to Huntington‌

Port Washington Branch

12:06 p.m. from Port Washington to Penn Station‌ ‌
12:16 p.m. from Penn Station to Port Washington‌

Ronkonkoma Branch

12:18 p.m. from Ronkonkoma to Penn Station‌ ‌‌
12:03 p.m. train from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma‌

Limited shuttle bus service and other travel alternatives remain available while we work to restore service. Please see below for details. If you need assistance, please call 511.

Travel alternatives

Shuttle buses

The MTA will provide limited shuttle bus service on Tuesday for essential workers and those who cannot telecommute. Buses will run during peak hours (toward Manhattan from 4:30 to 9 a.m. and to Long Island from 3 to 7 p.m.) to/from six locations on Long Island to subway transfer points in Queens. There will also be limited reverse peak service available on some routes.

Peak and reverse peak direction service

Bay Shore (LIRR) to Howard Beach-JFK Airport A
Huntington (LIRR) to Jamaica-179 St F at Hillside Av and 179 St
Ronkonkoma (LIRR) to Jamaica-179 St F at Hillside Av and 179 St

Peak direction service only

Hempstead Lake State Park, near Lakeview (LIRR), to Howard Beach-JFK Airport A
Hicksville (LIRR) to Howard Beach-JFK Airport A
Mineola (LIRR) to Howard Beach-JFK Airport A

There is no charge for shuttle bus service. Tap and ride using your phone, credit or debit card, or OMNY Card for transfers to the subway and MTA buses.

NICE Bus

Nassau County customers can use NICE Bus to connect to/from points in Queens, both at peak and reverse peak times.

See below for MTA locations with NICE Bus connections.

179 St E F
- n1, n6, n6x, n22, n22x, n24, n26
Far Rockaway-Mott Av A
- n31, n31x/m, n32, n33
Flushing-Main St 7
- n20g, n20x
Jamaica Bus Terminal, a short walk from the 169 St F
- n1, n6, n6x, n22, n22x, n24, n26
Jamaica Ctr-Parsons/Archer E J Z
- n4, n4x

Visit the NICE Bus website for more information and service changes, or use the NICE GoMobile app to plan your trip. Use your phone, credit or debit card, or OMNY Card to tap and ride on NICE Bus.

Passenger drop-off locations

We recommend using the following subway stations as passenger drop-off points. These stations are close to major roadways that lead to and from Long Island. These stations do not have parking lots, so please do not plan to park there.

Far Rockaway-Mott Av A
Kew Gardens-Union Tpke EF
Ozone Park-Lefferts Blvd A
Sheepshead Bay BQ
Woodhaven Blvd J

Accessible travel alternatives

Accessible travel options will be available on Long Island and in Queens.

Shuttle buses will transport customers from Bay Shore, Hempstead Lake State Park, Hicksville, and Mineola to Howard Beach-JFK Airport A station.
Shuttle buses will transport customers from Huntington and Ronkonkoma to Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer EJZ station.

Refunds for monthly ticket holders

We intend to issue prorated refunds to May monthly ticket holders for any business day that service is suspended due to the strike, pending board approval. Check back soon for more details on how to apply for a refund.

xoxo Transit Blogger

The post LIRR Service Info Update 05-19-26 appeared first on Transit Blogger.

LIRR Resumes Service At Noon

Transit Blogger — Tue, 19 May 2026 04:40:09 +0000

Long Island Rail Road service will resume beginning at noon on Tuesday.

Beginning at 12 p.m. Tuesday, hourly train service will operate on four main branches with electric train service, including Ronkonkoma, Babylon, Port Washington, and Huntington.

Full service is expected to be restored in time for the evening rush hour and the Knicks game at Madison Square Garden.

Full peak service is expected across all branches, including diesel service by the evening commute.

Tuesday morning will follow Monday’s contingency bus service.

MTA shuttle buses

Shuttle buses will run between the Ronkonkoma and Huntington LIRR stations and the Jamaica 179th Street subway stop in Queens. There, commuters can take the F train into Manhattan.

Buses will also run from the Bay Shore, Hicksville and Mineola stations as well as Hempstead Lake State Park. Those shuttles will go to the Howard Beach – JFK Airport subway station, where commuters can connect to the A train.

The shuttle buses will run during peak hours: toward Manhattan from 4:30 to 9 a.m. and to Long Island from 3 to 7 p.m.

NICE bus

Nassau County commuters should consider using NICE bus to connect to Flushing-Main Street to catch the No. 7 subway train or to the Jamaica Bus Terminal in Queens, which is a short walk to the 169th Street subway station for the F train.

Passenger drop-off locations

The MTA has a list of subway stations it recommends as drop-off points. They say these stations are close to major roadways that lead to and from Long Island.

Far Rockaway-Mott Av: A

Kew Gardens-Union Tpke: EF

Ozone Park-Lefferts Blvd: A

Sheepshead Bay: BQ

Woodhaven Blvd: J

Note: These stations do not have parking lots.

Accessible travel alternatives

There will be accessible travel alternatives available on Long Island and in Queens:

Shuttle buses will transport customers from Bay Shore, Hempstead Lake State Park, Hicksville, and Mineola to Howard Beach-JFK Airport A station.

And buses will transport customers from Huntington and Ronkonkoma to Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer EJZ station.

xoxo Transit Blogger

The post LIRR Resumes Service At Noon appeared first on Transit Blogger.

2026 LIRR Strike Comes To An End

Transit Blogger — Tue, 19 May 2026 04:07:26 +0000

The MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) strike of 2026 has come to an end after 3 days. Here are the details:

Negotiators have reached a deal to end a strike that has brought North America’s largest commuter rail system to a standstill.

The deal between the Long Island Rail Road and union leaders was announced on Monday.

The two sides had bargained for years before the strike began Saturday. The shutdown has forced roughly 250,000 commuters who ride the system each weekday to work from home or find alternate routes to and from the city.

The five unions represent about half its workforce, including engineers, signalmen and trainmen.

The unions and the MTA have been negotiating for months on a new contract, with talks stalled over workers’ salaries and healthcare premiums.

xoxo Transit Blogger

The post 2026 LIRR Strike Comes To An End appeared first on Transit Blogger.

LIRR 2026 Strike Latest Update

Transit Blogger — Mon, 18 May 2026 04:49:22 +0000

The National Mediation Board has stepped in to the LIRR strike to try to help resume bargaining between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the striking unions.

The coalition of five Long Island Rail Road unions and the MTA were summoned to a meeting in Manhattan.

The federal labor agency governs labor relations for railroads and airlines.

The news comes hours after New York Governor Kathy Hochul called for talks to resume to end the strike by LIRR unionized workers, which has shut down the Long Island Rail Road, North America’s largest commuter rail system.

The five unions represent about half its workforce, including engineers, signalmen and trainmen.

The unions and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority have been negotiating for months on a new contract, with talks stalled over workers’ salaries and healthcare premiums.

Hochul is urging the roughly 250,000 people who ride the system to work from home on Monday, if they can.

xoxo Transit Blogger

The post LIRR 2026 Strike Latest Update appeared first on Transit Blogger.

LIRR Is Officially On Strike!

Transit Blogger — Sat, 16 May 2026 04:50:24 +0000

The MTA Long Island Railroad (LIRR) is suspended system wide as the workers are officially on strike! Here are the options available to you:

LIRR strike is in effect

LIRR service is suspended due to a strike.

A strike will have a devastating impact on the nearly 300,000 passengers who depend on the LIRR to get where they need to go every single day. MTA leaders will continue to negotiate with the unions to resolve the strike.

However, we want riders to be prepared.

Work from home if possible

Unfortunately, there is no substitute for the Long Island Rail Road, and its shutdown will cause severe congestion and delays. Avoid nonessential travel and work from home if possible.

If you must commute, give yourself ample travel time, no matter which mode you take. There will be congestion on the roads and travel alternatives will be near or at capacity due to an influx of additional riders.

Travel alternatives

Shuttle buses

The MTA will provide limited shuttle bus service on weekdays for essential workers and those who cannot telecommute. Buses will run during peak hours (toward Manhattan from 4:30 to 9 a.m. and to Long Island from 3 to 7 p.m.) to/from six locations on Long Island to subway transfer points in Queens. There will also be limited reverse peak service available on some routes.

Peak and reverse peak direction service

Bay Shore (LIRR) to Howard Beach-JFK Airport A Train
Huntington (LIRR) to Jamaica-179 St F at Hillside Av and 179 St
Ronkonkoma (LIRR) to Jamaica-179 St F at Hillside Av and 179 St

Peak direction service only

Hempstead Lake State Park, near Lakeview (LIRR), to Howard Beach-JFK Airport A
Hicksville (LIRR) to Howard Beach-JFK Airport A
Mineola (LIRR) to Howard Beach-JFK Airport A

There is no charge for shuttle bus service. Tap and ride using your phone, credit or debit card, or OMNY Card for transfers to the subway and MTA buses.

NICE Bus

Nassau County customers should also consider using NICE Bus to connect to/from points in Queens, both at peak and reverse peak times. See below for MTA locations with NICE Bus connections.

179 St E F
- n1, n6, n6x, n22, n22x, n24, n26
Far Rockaway-Mott Av A
- n31, n31x/m, n32, n33
Flushing-Main St 7
- n20g, n20x
Jamaica Bus Terminal, a short walk from the 169 St F
- n1, n6, n6x, n22, n22x, n24, n26
Jamaica Ctr-Parsons/Archer EJZ
- n4, n4x

Visit the NICE Bus website for more information and service changes, or use the NICE GoMobile app to plan your trip. Use your phone, credit or debit card, or OMNY Card to tap and ride on NICE Bus.

Passenger drop-off locations

Far Rockaway-Mott Av A
Kew Gardens-Union Tpke E F
Ozone Park-Lefferts Blvd A
Sheepshead Bay BQ
Woodhaven Blvd J

Accessible travel alternatives

Accessible travel options will be available on Long Island and in Queens.

Shuttle buses will transport customers from Bay Shore, Hempstead Lake State Park, Hicksville, and Mineola to Howard Beach-JFK Airport A station.
Shuttle buses will transport customers from Huntington and Ronkonkoma to Jamaica Center-Parsons/Archer EJZ station.

Shuttle Bus Map

Refunds for monthly ticket holders

xoxo Transit Blogger

The post LIRR Is Officially On Strike! appeared first on Transit Blogger.

MTA Statement On Congestion Pricing Ruling

Transit Blogger — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 21:14:06 +0000

The MTA CEO & Chairman Janno Lieber released a brief statement after federal Judge Lewis Liman said the Trump administration’s attempt to revoke approval for the first-of-its-kind program was unlawful, handing a victory to the MTA following a months-long legal battle.

Here is the statement sent directly to me by the MTA to share with my readers:

“We’ve said it all along, and Judge Liman’s clear, detailed ruling leaves no doubt: congestion pricing is legal. It’s here to stay. And it works.

Traffic is down, business is up, and we’re making crucial investments in a transit system that moves millions of people a day.

Today—once again—Secretary Duffy failed and New York is winning.”

I personally feel this is a terrible decision as congestion pricing is a scam & quite frankly unconstitutional. Sadly our justice system is filled with so many activists disguised as judges, rulings like this have become commonplace.

xoxo Transit Blogger

The post MTA Statement On Congestion Pricing Ruling appeared first on Transit Blogger.

Winter Storm 02-24-26 2pm Update

Transit Blogger — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 19:52:08 +0000

A winter storm has brought heavy snowfall to our area.

Our crews have prepared by salting outdoor areas at stations, deploying snow-fighting equipment, and monitoring switches and tracks. But we’re also taking precautions to ensure trains and buses can operate safely, and there will be service changes on subways, buses, the Long Island Rail Road, Metro-North Railroad, and Access-A-Ride. Keep reading to see those changes.

Our customers’ safety is our top priority. Keep these things in mind:

Allow yourself extra travel time.
Use extra caution, especially on stairs, platforms, and when boarding or exiting trains and buses.
Check service status on the MTA or TrainTime apps, or on our website.
Chat with us in our apps if you have questions about service.
Sign up for real-time email or SMS alerts to get updates on service as they happen.

Stay safe, and thanks for riding with us.

Subway

Some express trains are running local. Check the MTA app or Service Status to see if your train is impacted.

Bus

Expect longer waits for local buses, since we’ve removed articulated buses from service during the storm.

Long Island Rail Road

The LIRR is operating limited service on the Port Washington, Ronkonkoma, Babylon, Montauk, Oyster Bay, and Port Jefferson branches:

Hourly service on the Port Washington Branch
Weekend service on the Ronkonkoma Branch
Reduced weekend service on the Babylon Branch, with added stops at Valley Stream and Lynbrook
Weekend service on the Montauk Branch, limited to trains between Speonk and points west
Weekend service on the Oyster Bay Branch
Weekend service on the Port Jefferson Branch
Weekend service to/from Brooklyn
Limited shuttle service to/from Grand Central, running express between Jamaica and Grand Central
No service on the Far Rockaway, Hempstead, Long Beach, or West Hempstead branches, between Ronkonkoma and Greenport, or between Speonk and Montauk

Metro-North Railroad

On Tuesday, Metro-North will operate half-hourly service during the morning and evening peaks on the Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines. The New Canaan and Danbury branches will be on a weekend schedule. Waterbury and Wassaic branch service will be replaced by buses.

Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry substitute bus service will resume operation. View the special bus schedule.

The Hudson Rail Link will resume operation. View special schedules for Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil.

The Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines will operate on a Presidents Day schedule. Visit NJ Transit’s website for updates.

Access-A-Ride

Access-A-Ride Paratransit is operating very limited service for essential trips only.

If you have a non-essential trip scheduled for Tuesday, please cancel your trip as soon as possible by using the MY AAR app or calling 877-337-2017, prompt #3.

There will be no penalties for no show or late cancellations Tuesday.

xoxo Transit Blogger

The post Winter Storm 02-24-26 2pm Update appeared first on Transit Blogger.

Winter Storm 02-24-26 Noon Update

Transit Blogger — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 17:08:43 +0000

A winter storm has brought heavy snowfall to our area.

Our customers’ safety is our top priority. Keep these things in mind:

Allow yourself extra travel time.
Use extra caution, especially on stairs, platforms, and when boarding or exiting trains and buses.
Check service status on the MTA or TrainTime apps, or on our website.
Chat with us in our apps if you have questions about service.
Sign up for real-time email or SMS alerts to get updates on service as they happen.

Stay safe, and thanks for riding with us.

Subway

Some express trains are running local. Check the MTA app or Service Status to see if your train is impacted.

Bus

Expect longer waits for local buses, since we’ve removed articulated buses from service during the storm.

Long Island Rail Road

The LIRR is operating limited service on the Ronkonkoma, Huntington, Babylon, Oyster Bay, Montauk, and Port Washington branches:

Hourly service on the Port Washington and Ronkonkoma branches
Reduced weekend service on the Babylon Branch, with select morning westbound trains stopping at Valley Stream
Weekend service on the Montauk Branch, limited to trains between Speonk and points west
Oyster Bay Branch service operating westbound in the morning and in both directions after the morning rush
Weekend service on the Port Jefferson Branch
Weekend service to/from Brooklyn
Limited shuttle service to/from Grand Central, running express between Jamaica and Grand Central
No service on the Far Rockaway, Hempstead, Long Beach, or West Hempstead branches, between Ronkonkoma and Greenport, or between Speonk and Montauk

Metro-North Railroad

Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry substitute bus service will resume operation. View the special bus schedule.

The Hudson Rail Link will resume operation. View special schedules for Riverdale and Spuyten Duyvil.

The Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines will operate on a Presidents Day schedule. Visit NJ Transit’s website for updates.

Access-A-Ride

Access-A-Ride Paratransit is operating very limited service for essential trips only.

If you have a non-essential trip scheduled for Tuesday, please cancel your trip as soon as possible by using the MY AAR app or calling 877-337-2017, prompt #3.

There will be no penalties for no show or late cancellations Tuesday.

xoxo Transit Blogger

The post Winter Storm 02-24-26 Noon Update appeared first on Transit Blogger.

Winter Storm 2026 Service Update

Transit Blogger — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 16:33:02 +0000

A winter storm has brought heavy snowfall to our area. Customers are strongly advised to avoid travel.

Our customers’ safety is our top priority. If you must travel, keep these things in mind:

Allow yourself extra travel time.
Use extra caution, especially on stairs, platforms, and when boarding or exiting trains and buses.
Check service status on the MTA or TrainTime apps, or on our website.
Chat with us in our apps if you have questions about service.
Sign up for real-time email or SMS alerts to get updates on service as they happen.

Stay safe, and thanks for riding with us.

Subway

SIR train service is suspended.

Some express trains are running local. Expect delays, some of which could be severe, especially on lines that run outdoors. We will update the service status box if your train is impacted.

Bus

Expect longer waits for local buses, since we’ve removed articulated buses from service during the storm.

Long Island Rail Road

LIRR service is fully suspended until further notice. Check the TrainTime app or our website for details on service. We will restore train service once it is safe to do so.

Metro-North Railroad

On Monday, Metro-North will operate on a reduced schedule on the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines, including the Wassaic, New Canaan, Danbury, and Waterbury branches.

The Hudson Rail Link connecting bus will be suspended. The shuttle buses that have been substituting for the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry due to river ice will also be suspended.

West of Hudson service on the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines is temporarily suspended as of Sunday evening. Visit NJ Transit’s website for updates.

Access-A-Ride

Access-A-Ride Paratransit will not be taking any reservations after 9 p.m. Sunday, to coincide with New York City’s traffic ban. Paratransit customers can call for updates on when service will resume and reservations can be made again.

xoxo Transit Blogger

The post Winter Storm 2026 Service Update appeared first on Transit Blogger.

Winter Storm Service Change Updates

Transit Blogger — Sun, 22 Feb 2026 21:19:35 +0000

A winter storm will bring heavy snowfall to our area on Sunday, February 22, into the following Monday. Customers are strongly advised to avoid travel.

Our customers’ safety is our top priority. If you must travel, keep these things in mind:

Allow yourself extra travel time.
Use extra caution, especially on stairs, platforms, and when boarding or exiting trains and buses.
Check service status on the MTA or TrainTime apps, or on our website.
Chat with us in our apps if you have questions about service.
Sign up for real-time email or SMS alerts to get updates on service as they happen.

Stay safe, and thanks for riding with us.

Subway

Some express lines are running local as we prepare for the winter storm. Check the MTA app or the Service Status of your line on our homepage for more information.

Starting at 3 p.m. Sunday, special S Rockaway Park Shuttle service will replace A service between Rockaway Blvd, Rockaway Park, and Far Rockaway.

A trains will run to/from Lefferts Blvd only.
S shuttle will run to/from Euclid Av.
Special S shuttle will make all A stops between Euclid Av and Far Rockaway and all A stops between Broad Channel and Rockaway Park.
- Transfer between A and S at Euclid Av.

On Monday, the Staten Island Railway will run every half hour. There will be no express SIR service.

Bus

Expect longer waits for local buses, since we’ve removed articulated buses from service during the storm.

Long Island Rail Road

LIRR service will shut down Sunday evening. To support a safe and orderly shutdown of the LIRR system, train service will be reduced on select branches as early as 7 p.m. and by 1 a.m. will be fully suspended until further notice.

Our TrainTime app and website might be delayed in reflecting the most recent service changes.

The Port Washington, Port Jefferson, and Babylon branches will operate hourly starting at 7 p.m. Greenport service and the West Hempstead Branch will end service at 11 p.m.

The last trains to operate on each branch will be:

Babylon Branch

11:44 p.m. from Babylon to Penn Station
11:43 p.m. from Penn Station to Babylon

Far Rockaway Branch

11:07 p.m. from Far Rockaway to Grand Central
11:20 p.m. from Grand Central to Far Rockaway

Hempstead Branch

No service this weekend

Long Beach Branch

12:12 a.m. from Long Beach to Penn Station
11:58 p.m. from Penn Station to Long Beach

Montauk Branch

11:25 p.m. from Speonk to Jamaica
11:30 p.m. from Jamaica to Speonk
The 9:42 p.m. from Jamaica to Montauk will terminate in Speonk

Oyster Bay Branch

10:53 p.m. from Oyster Bay to Jamaica
8:45 p.m. from Jamaica to Oyster Bay

Port Jefferson Branch

9:39 p.m. from Port Jefferson to Huntington, with connection to Penn Station
11:27 p.m. from Port Jefferson to Huntington, with no connection available at Huntington
11:52 p.m. from Huntington to Penn Station
11:46 p.m. from Penn Station to Huntington, with connection to Port Jefferson

Port Washington Branch

11:26 p.m. from Port Washington to Penn Station
11:28 p.m. from Penn Station to Port Washington

Ronkonkoma Branch

11:07 p.m. from Ronkonkoma to Penn Station
11:17 p.m. from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma

West Hempstead Branch

11:02 p.m. from West Hempstead to Grand Central
10:57 p.m. from Grand Central to West Hempstead

Brooklyn service

12:35 a.m. from Jamaica to Atlantic Terminal
12:44 a.m. from Atlantic Terminal to Jamaica

We will restore train service once it is safe to do so.

Metro-North Railroad

On Monday, Metro-North will operate on an hourly schedule for the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines, and on a weekend schedule for the Wassaic, New Canaan, Danbury, and Waterbury branches.

The Hudson Rail Link connecting bus will be suspended. The shuttle buses that have been substituting for the Haverstraw-Ossining Ferry due to river ice will also be suspended.

Access-A-Ride

Access-A-Ride Paratransit will not be taking any reservations after 9 p.m., to coincide with New York City’s traffic ban. Customers who have booked rides after 9 p.m. are being contacted to see if they are able to reschedule for an earlier ride or cancel their trip. Paratransit customers can call for updates on when service will resume and reservations can be made again.

xoxo Transit Blogger

The post Winter Storm Service Change Updates appeared first on Transit Blogger.