By Philip Newman
Construction on the East Side Access project will force changes in some eastbound Long Island Rail Road rush hour service for as long as one month.
The LIRR said the disruption of schedules, to begin July 9, will be the result of tunneling in Queens.
Some peak evening trains will be running on two tracks between Penn Station and Jamaica instead of three up until Aug. 17 as a tunnel boring machine excavates on the borough side of the East River Tunnels and a key switch is taken out of service.
The canceled evening peak eastbound LIRR trains are:
• 4:52 p.m. from Penn Station to Babylon. Riders will be on the 5:03 p.m. from Penn Station making all stops to Babylon.
• 5:20 p.m. from Penn Station to Long Beach. Riders will be on the 5:23 p.m. from Penn Station stopping at Jamaica, then all stops to Long Beach.
• 5:40 p.m. from Penn Station to Seaford. Riders will be on the 5:47 p.m. from Penn Station, which will make all stops from Rockville Centre to Seaford.
The canceled evening peak trains with adjusted schedules are as follows:
• 5:36 p.m. from Penn Station to Babylon, which will depart from Penn Station one minute later and arrive in Babylon two minutes later at 6:42 p.m.
• 5:55 p.m. from Penn Station to Long Beach will arrive at Long Beach one minute later at 6:52 p.m.
• 5:59 p.m. from Penn Station to Babylon will arrive at Babylon five minutes later at 7:04 p.m.
• 6:44 p.m. from Babylon to Patchogue will operate two minutes later at 7:16 p.m. as a result of its connecting train from Penn Station — the 5:37 p.m. — arriving two minutes later at Babylon.
Commuters on the affected Babylon branch trains will experience up to 11 minutes of additional travel time, while customers on affected Long Beach branch trains will experience up to six minutes of additional travel time.
The East Side Access, now estimated to be completed in 2019, will bring LIRR trains into Grand Central Terminal, saving thousands of commuters 40 minutes of commuting time every day.
Reach contributing writer Philip Newman by e-mail at timesledgernews@cnglocal.com or phone at 718-260-4536.
