Previously, the last peak PM train of the day departed Ronkonkoma for Greenport at 7:03 PM, which meant the last train you could get from NYC to connect to that train left Penn Station at 5:41 PM. Now, with the new timetables as a result of the completion of the new Grand Central Madison terminal, the departure of the last train from Ronkonkoma to Greenport is at 6:24 PM, making the 5:04 PM train from Penn Station the direct connection.

This is 37 minutes earlier than it used to be, which is unacceptably early. Many commuters who are unable to catch this earlier train will become stranded in New York, with no other options for trains to Medford, Yaphank, Riverhead, Mattituck, Southold, and Greenport. These are considered "transit deserts"—areas without adequate public transportation. The Hampton Jitney, a bus service that only serves the East End of Long Island, is difficult to book a reservation for and does not serve many of our communities that this train does. By pushing the final departure of the day earlier, not only is the LIRR rendering this train useless, but they are seriously harming our underserved communities that already lack adequate transit access.

Based on the new Ronkonkoma Branch schedules, here's how this can be fixed:

1. The departure of the eastbound Greenport train from Ronkonkoma should be pushed back to 7:03 PM, the same time it has been for the last few years. This would make the 5:39 PM train from Grand Central the direct connection. This train also makes fewer stops, allowing for a slightly faster trip.
2. The 5:25 PM train from Penn Station to Brentwood should be extended to Ronkonkoma. It is scheduled to arrive in Brentwood at 6:32 PM, meaning that it would arrive in Ronkonkoma at 6:44 PM. There would be enough room at the station for this train at this time. This would allow for a one-seat ride from Penn Station, offering those commuters an easier trip than to change at Brentwood.
3. The departure of the westbound Greenport train to Ronkonkoma should be pushed back to 9:27 PM. This would make it connect with the 10:56 PM train from Ronkonkoma, rather than the 10:23 PM train.

Other than that, there would be zero conflicts in the schedule because 1) there are no signals on the Greenport branch, and 2) there is only one train on the line at a time. This is probably the easiest schedule adjustment of many that are necessary across the system. Despite having a fairly lower ridership than many other branches, we still rely on this train. If the folks at the LIRR see even lower ridership on this train because of the problem that they created, they might drastically reduce or even eliminate train service on our branch completely! Thus, we need to make our voices heard by the MTA and, at the very least, retain the service we have and continue to rely on.