Long Island Rail Road service was suspended systemwide at midnight Saturday after workers represented by five unions walked off the job following a breakdown in contract negotiations with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The strike, the first on the LIRR since 1994, halted all train service, including the limited service on the Main Line east of Ronkonkoma that serves Riverhead and the North Fork.
While Riverhead is not heavily dependent on the railroad for daily commuting into New York City, the shutdown comes at the start of the busy summer travel season, when weekend and leisure ridership typically increases.
Under the LIRR’s summer schedule, which took effect May 11, five westbound trains depart Riverhead on weekdays and five eastbound trains arrive daily.
The MTA announced contingency plans Friday night that include shuttle bus service between several Long Island locations, including Ronkonkoma, and Queens subway stations if the strike continues into the workweek.
Beginning Monday, shuttle buses are expected to operate between the Ronkonkoma station and the F subway line at Jamaica-179 Street in Queens during peak commuting hours. The MTA said buses are expected to run approximately every 10 minutes during the morning and evening rush periods, though the agency acknowledged the buses will not be able to accommodate all displaced rail riders.
No substitute service is being provided east of Ronkonkoma.
The strike followed three years of contract negotiations between the MTA and unions representing engineers, signal workers, machinists and other railroad employees. Union leaders said workers have not received raises since 2022 and argued that the MTA’s wage proposals fail to keep pace with the region’s cost of living.
MTA officials said the unions’ demands would significantly increase labor costs and strain the agency’s budget.
The MTA said the strike could significantly disrupt travel throughout the region and urged commuters to work remotely if possible.
The railroad serves nearly 300,000 riders daily and carried about 82 million riders last year, according to the MTA.
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