If you’re hopping on the Long Island Rail Road this fall, you’re going to want to double-check your route.
The MTA has announced a massive wave of construction-related service changes, with all LIRR branches running on new schedules beginning Monday, November 9, 2026.
Here is everything you need to know to navigate the transit madness.
LIRR schedule changes beginning Monday, November 9, 2026
During this time, changes will be made to departure times on many midday weekday and weekend trains. Additionally, some trains will leave earlier than they do currently. The MTA assures that rush hour trains will not be affected by service changes.
Hempstead Branch
- The 6:34 am train from Westbury to Penn Station will no longer make a stop at Elmont-UBS Arena
Montauk Branch
- The 5:47 am train from Speonk to Long Island City will now begin its route in Hampton Bays at 5:30 am, giving riders in Hampton Bays and Westhampton an additional morning travel option
Pro-Tip: don’t forget you can now take take a direct $24 LIRR train from NYC to Montauk year-round.
Port Jefferson Branch
- A new weekend local train will depart Hicksville at 4:33 pm, providing additional capacity for passengers traveling to and from events
- The return train from Penn Station will depart at 10:02 pm
Ronkonkoma Branch
- The 6:27 am train from Ronkonkoma to Grand Central will depart two minutes earlier
Greenport service
- Midday weekday train service east of Ronkonkoma will resume on November 23
City Terminal Zone
- The 7:18 pm train from Grand Central to Long Beach will depart one minute earlier and make an additional stop at Kew Gardens
Brooklyn service
- Midday weekday service between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal will return to its regular frequency of one train every 20 minutes
Babylon Branch
Beginning Saturday, November 14, weekend service on the Babylon Branch will see the following changes. The new midday weekday schedule will take effect Monday, November 23:
- Direct service from stations east of Massapequa to Grand Central will return
- Two local trains per hour will operate between Manhattan and Babylon: one serving Penn Station and the other serving Grand Central
- Express trains between Babylon and Penn Station will only operate to connect with Montauk Branch trains, stopping exclusively at Jamaica, Freeport, and Babylon
Heads up: A special midday weekday schedule will be in effect from November 9–20 to accommodate track work between Amityville and Lindenhurst.
These changes restore the Babylon Branch’s service pattern to how it operated before the Babylon station reconstruction project.
Why is this happening?
The Long Island Rail Road is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, and the MTA is performing advance track maintenance and station accessibility projects.
The work is part of the agency’s broader efforts to maintain aging rail infrastructure, improve service reliability, and make stations more accessible to passengers with disabilities.
Some of the work requires crews to access tracks and station infrastructure during off-peak hours, which is why certain midday weekday and weekend trains will depart earlier than usual.
Pro-Tip: always check the TrainTime app or view the schedule for your branch to see changes before you leave. You can also check the Planned Work lookup tool for details and updates.
Don’t miss out! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and now on WhatsApp, too!