LIRR: Service changes to New Hyde Park, Merillon Avenue stations

The Long Island Rail Road says major changes started this week to eastbound service at New Hyde Park and Merillon Avenue due to work on the platforms as part of the Third Track project.
From 5 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day, eastbound trains will bypass both stations.
Instead, riders are urged to stay on the train to Mineola and transfer there for bus service back to Merillon Avenue and New Hyde Park.
"The conductor told me on the train that I couldn't go - that I had to get dropped off at Mineola, which I kind of didn't expect - kind of confused me a bit because I wasn't sure how the shuttle buses worked," says Emily Su.
In addition, riders should allow up to 40 minutes extra time, or use the nearby Stewart Manor or Nassau Boulevard stations on the Hempstead Branch as an alternative.
During the evening rush hour, most eastbound trains will stop at New Hyde Park and Merillon Avenue, but riders will need to be in the first six cars to exit at both stations.
Crews are installing a newly built third track, which will add new peak train times on the Ronkonkoma, Port Jefferson, Huntington and Oyster Bay branches.
It's part of the LIRR's Main Line Expansion Project that is adding 10 miles of a third track, the rebuilding of five stations and other upgrades.
Residents are excited about the project and are hopefully it will mean no more delays in the future.
"Better now, sooner rather than later, if they have to get improvements done hopefully there's no delays," says Jay Kumar, of Rockville Centre.