The Long Island Rail Road has added more trains to its South Fork Commuter Connection on Fridays, increasing service and, let’s hope, removing more cars from the clogged Montauk Highway. Two trains will make the round trip on Fridays, the first leaving Speonk at 6 a.m. and the second at 8:26 a.m.
The commuter connection is a coordinated weekday train-and-shuttle-bus service on the east end of the L.I.R.R.’s Montauk branch, between Speonk and Montauk. The new Friday trains will operate year round. The one-way fare is $3.25, with monthly ($89) and weekly ($30.75) tickets available.
The railroad announced other tweaks just over a month ago, which shifted the schedule earlier. The changes are a result of the opening of Grand Central Madison, which allows more trains to enter the city, taking the strain off Penn Station.
Last summer, the L.I.R.R. rejected State Assemblyman Fred W. Thiele Jr.’s request for the Friday trains. At the time, he said, “You can’t grow ridership if a commuter can only take the train four days out of five, especially when the fifth day is the busiest traffic day of the week.”
He is pleased by the additional service. “This is another step forward in providing improved public transit options for our East End community,” Mr. Thiele said.
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone agreed. “It is no secret that during the summer months we see an increase in traffic and cars, making it more difficult to access our East End,” he said.
Free parking is available at most stations, though restrictions apply at the Bridgehampton and East Hampton stations, which are run by Southampton Town and East Hampton Village.
More information about the shuttle buses at Southampton and Bridgehampton can be found at SFCC@southamptontownny.gov.
