By Philip Newman
The Long Island Rail Road Monday is restoring three afternoon trains taken out of service during tunnel excavation in Queens for the East Side Access project.
Departure and arrival times for four other trains will also return to normal a week earlier than originally scheduled now that the tunnel work has been completed.
The three canceled afternoon and evening peak eastbound trains brought back on regular schedule are as follows:
• 4:52 p.m. from Penn Station to Babylon
• 5:20 p.m. from Penn Station to Long Beach
• 5:40 p.m. from Penn Station to Seaford
The four evening peak trains with adjusted schedules now going back to normal service are as follows:
• 5:36 p.m. from Penn Station to Babylon
• 5:55 p.m. from Penn Station to Long Beach
• 5:59 p.m. from Penn Station to Babylon
• 6:44 p.m. from Babylon to Patchogue
The LIRR said the evening rush hour schedule changes were originally planned for up to four weeks while a vital switch was taken out of service for the East Side Access tunnel boring work in Queens.
While the tunneling was underway, the adjustments to the evening rush hour schedule were made necessary due to elimination of one of the three eastbound tracks normally used during the evening peak period.
Reach contributing writer Philip Newman by e-mail at timesledgernews@cnglocal.com or phone at 718-260-4536.
