Tracking the commute: LIRR riders hold breath for smooth evening rush

Some trains remained jam packed Tuesday morning, and riders told News 12 they didn’t have much hope for a smooth evening commute.

News 12 Staff

Mar 7, 2023, 10:47 AM

Updated 555 days ago

Share:

News 12 is continuing to track the rush-hour commutes on the Long Island Rail Road since major changes were made to the schedule to accommodate service to Grand Central Madison.
Some trains remained jam packed Tuesday morning, and riders told News 12 they didn’t have much hope for a smooth evening commute.
News 12 Long Island's Caroline Flynn spoke with riders at the Deer Park Station.
“This week, it did get a tiny bit better, but last week it was standing room only for everybody,” said one rider. “I've been taking the train for 29 years, and it's horrendous."
The railroad says it's taking steps to fix problems from the rollout of its Grand Central Madison service.
Some of the changes involved adding rush hour trains to Brooklyn and additional train cars. Cars were also added to Penn Station from branches, including Port Washington, Babylon and Ronkonkoma.
Some riders, however, experienced new issues as stops at Woodside were removed from some trains. Commuters say it's making their commute a challenge - choosing less time at home to make an earlier train or getting to work late.
The MTA says there are no plans to add more trains but it is continuing to analyze commuter trends and will do so if necessary.