Community Corner
Buses Replace Trains from Montauk to Speonk
Special schedule in effect this week due to bridge work.
Beginning Tuesday morning and ending early Friday, trains scheduled to run between Montauk and Speonk are being replaced by buses, as the Long Island Rail Road conducts a bridge rehabilitation project.
The move adds up to 37 minutes to travel time for eastbound travelers, and up to 39 minutes for westbound customers, according to the MTA. Nine trains are canceled on Tuesday, 10 on Wednesday and Thursday and one on Friday.
One a.m. and one p.m. rush hour train will be affected.
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On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the 6:17 p.m. train from Jamaica will end its run at Speonk at 7:55 p.m., and passengers will take buses to their final destination. Westbound, the 5:39 a.m. train from Montauk scheduled to arrive in Speonk at 6:49 a.m. will instead originate from Speonk on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
"Weekday work dates were chosen for the track outage because more riders travel this segment of the Montauk Branch on weekends at this time of year and the LIRR always tries to schedule track work on days that impact the fewest customers," the MTA stated. "On the three weekdays, approximately 450 westbound customers and approximately 375 eastbound customers will be affected."
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Three bridges are undergoing rehabilitation as part of the $26.2 million project, the North Highway bridge, built in 1907; Montauk Highway bridge, built in 1929; and Shinnecock Canal bridge, built in 1931. The height clearance on the Montauk Highway and North Highway bridges is being raised 5 inches to reduce the potential of vehicles striking the bridges as they pass underneath. The work, which is funded by the Federal Transit Administration and the MTA Capital Program, is aimed at extending the life of each bridge by 30 to 40 years, according to the MTA.
The work began in the fall of 2011, according to the MTA, which pointed out that the project has occasionally necessitated the suspension of train service. Work is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2013.
See the adjusted schedule in the attached pdf.
