Community Corner

LIRR Adds Early Route to Port Jefferson Before Blizzard Hits

Several earlier trains on the line added by the MTA are coming out as far as Huntington.

In expectation of this winter's biggest snowfall – a National Weather Service blizzard warning has stated up to a foot and a half of snow is possible – the Long Island Rail Road has added train service to the Port Jefferson branch for Friday afternoon, to allow commuters to get home safe and sound before Nemo touches down.

The following trains have been added to the line by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, though only one addition is traveling all the way to the Port Jefferson stop:

  • A 1:46 p.m. train from Jamaica, arriving in Port Jefferson at 3:37 p.m.
  • A 2:08 p.m. train from Penn Station, arriving in Huntington at 3:09 p.m.
  • A 2:29 p.m. train from Penn Station, arriving in Huntington at 3:35 p.m.
  • A 3:24 p.m. train from Penn Station, arriving in Hicksville at 4:05 p.m.

Regularly scheduled trips from Penn Station to Port Jefferson remain on schedule, according to the MTA website:

Find out what's happening in Port Jeffersonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • A 1:31 p.m. train out of Penn Station is scheduled to arrive in Port Jefferson at 3:37 p.m.
  • A 2:52 p.m. train out of Penn Station is scheduled to arrive in Port Jefferson at 4:53 p.m.

If snowfall comes down as weather experts predict it will, train service will likely be severely cut back. The MTA website notes that in the instance of a blizzard or sustained winds over 39 miles per hour (the NWS predicts sustained winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph), "train service will be severely curtailed or suspended, especially if there are frozen switches or there is a loss of third rail power. Icing can have a greater impact on travel conditions than heavy snowfall and can develop very quickly. Train travel is not encouraged."

LIRR officials have an "arsenal of machinery" on hand, they report, with nearly 16,000 gallons of anti-freeze, 200 portable snow blowers, nine front-end and payloaders, and more.

Find out what's happening in Port Jeffersonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Commuters can sign up for email and text message alerts from the LIRR by visiting www.mtamyalerts.com.

Click here to find out 10 different ways you can utilize Port Jefferson Patch during the upcoming storm.


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