Some welcome news for Long Island Rail Road riders. Beginning May 14, half-hourly midday service will be restored on the on weekdays between the morning and evening rush hours, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said Friday.
The line runs through Douglaston, Little Neck and Bayside.
In September 2010, service was reduced to hourly trains in an effort to fill an $800 million budget gap. When the cuts took place, the LIRR said it would monitor ridership patterns and make adjustments as needed.
Yet travelers seemed to respond to that schedule by avoiding the railroad. LIRR research revealed a loss in ridership, by as many as 180,000 rides annually.
Now the LIRR aims to woo back its passengers with the the half-hourly service.
Fares will remain the same, an MTA spokesman told Patch.
In addition, there will be no additional train crew cost. And the anticipated revenue generated from the expected increased ridership will offset any other costs.
Eastbound: The seven restored eastbound trains will depart Penn Station at 19 after the hour, from 9:19 a.m. through 3:19 p.m. These are in addition to the eastbound trains at 49 after the hour, which remain unchanged.
The LIRR hasn't yet revealed when the restored westbound trains will be leaving from Douglaston or Little Neck.
