LIRR to raise fares, change services

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Lavine (D-Glen Cove) said he is pleased with the service changes. He said the changes were achieved after months-long communication between him, Glen Cove City Councilwoman Danielle Fugazy and the MTA.

“We have worked hand in hand and I look forward to continuing to build on the progress made here in an ongoing effort to make the commute a little easier for riders of the Oyster Bay branch,” Lavine said.

Effective immediately, Oyster Bay branch trains heading towards Jamaica and leaving at 4:56 a.m. and 5:56 a.m. will not stop at the Mineola station. Eastbound trains leaving at 6:22 p.m. will also not stop at the Mineola station.

The Port Washington Branch will have two changes implemented to its service.

The weekday trains at 6:08 p.m. and 6:11 p.m. from Grand Central, both of which run partially express, will be combined to offer a single train leaving at 6:11 p.m. This train will make all stops along the Port Washington line.

Also, all late-night trains will run to and from Penn Station during the week from 10:30 p.m.-1 a.m. and on weekends from midnight to 7 a.m. This will be omitting service to and from Grand Central during those times.

North Hempstead Town Councilwoman Mariann Dalimonte, who represents Port Washington and Plandome— two communities serviced by the Port Washington Branch—said she is frustrated with the LIRR service changes. This frustration is exacerbated by the MTA fare increases on top of it.

“They want to increase our fee, but then they’re decreasing our service,” Dalimonte said. “They want us to pay more but get less trains.”

Dalimonte said the LIRR service changes to accomadate trains running to and from Grand Central Madison immediately posed problems when all express trains to Penn Station were initially proposed to be removed when service to Grand Central began. She, along with other government officials, fought to get the express trains reinstated.