Community Corner
LIRR Pushing for More Transfers at Mineola
Oyster Bay line riders would have to switch trains to get into Manhattan.
The Long Island Rail Road is making changes to its Oyster Bay Branch line that would have commuters changing trains at Mineola instead of at the Jamaica hub.
According to a Newsday report:
The efforts are part of a larger LIRR initiative to use so-called "scoot" service -- smaller, faster shuttles -- wherever possible. The aim is to increase train frequency on some underserved branches, ease train congestion at Jamaica Station, and free up capacity on the LIRR's busiest lines -- all before the start of service to Grand Central Terminal in 2019.
THe LIRR will replace trains headed to Manhattan and Brooklyn with shuttle service that would require almost all passengers to change at Mineola instead of a one-train ride into the city.According to the LIRR, the Oyster Bay line is sparsely used, with only 2,300 riders. It plans on using shorter "scoot" diesel trains between shorter spans of destinations and to run the trains more frequently, ferrying passengers between hubs.
The LIRR plans to run shuttle trains every 30 to 45 minutes between Oyster Bay and Mineola, who would then transfer to trains headed to Penn Station or the new Grand Central terminal when it opens. The move could affect 20,000 riders daily.
The railroad says that the move would also free up capacity on its tracks before the Grand Central Terminal is opened and increase the number of morning rush hour trains by as much as 65 percent.
What do you think of the changes to how the Mineola LIRR station is used? Tell us in the comments.
Get Mineola news on Facebook
Find out what's happening in Mineolawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here
