"Classic" LIRR Operation - 8/13/05

There was bussing on the Main Line on Saturday (8/14/05)....crossing being renewed east of Farmingdale..... Train 8014's travel to the East End were directed off train at Hicksville to a Medford-Greenport bus (no bathroom nor a/c)....Amazingly, at Medford (via LIE) we "caught" the Scoot, and the conductor became our hero by reloading us aboard! Can't understand why the plan called for busing when #6200 ran anyway.....the brass must be focus on On-Time Performance!!!!! (Wonder if they would ride the bus as a "escort"????) From my frequent trips to Greenport this summer, the train was the earliest it's ever been late!!! Westbound: another "classic": Ronkonkoma busses were programmed to connect with Huntington trains! We arrived in Hicksville 2" after the Main Line stub train (originating in Farmingdale) left. Nothing like programming East End passengers to board an already crowded train when (with a little communication ie: have LIRR rep with radio aboard to advise of our arrival) they could have held the stub train for us! Result: a 35" wait and 45" later arrival at Penn Station. Customer Service: second to OTP!!!

There's a LIRR Commutters' Forum on Yahoo! that supports general gripes about service and the Railroad actually reads it and replies.

That may be a better venue for complaints like yours. This is more of a place for folks who are interested in the technical operation, questions and discussion about operations.

Clem

Just curious what kind of buses were they using for the bustitution? Sounds like they put you on a cheese bus.
Reminds me of work awhile back on the main line which had buses between Hicksville and Huntington. Even though the Port Jeff trains were running between PJ and Hunt, they directed those going past HUNT onto Cheese buses for PJ line stops, while LI Buses were doing stations Syosset thru Hunt. Needless to say, if I were going to PJ I'd take the LI Buses to Huntington and then the regular diesel out to PJ. Aint no way I'm riding on a cheese bus.
*cheese bus=school bus

I guess the railroad figures it's quicker to have a bus go direct from Hicksville to eastern stations instead of involving another transfer. It makes sense somewhat, but there's no excuse for using non-air conditioned buses in planned outages like this, when LI Bus or a coach company could have provided the transportation.
At the speeds the Port Jeff and Greenport lines go, a bus is probably quicker.

Cheesebus cause they're yellow?

Clem