Ronkonkoma Branch – LIRR Schedule & Transfers

The Ronkonkoma Branch is the MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)’s second-busiest and most important line for central and eastern Long Island commuters. Running from Penn Station in Manhattan to Ronkonkoma, this branch provides a direct and speedy connection for both daily commuters and weekend tourists.

The recently upgraded stations, expanded parking, and frequent trains on the Ronkonkoma Branch make it a model of reliability and convenience. It also links to MacArthur Airport, so it’s great for regional travel. Whether you’re commuting to work, or heading out for leisure, the Ronkonkoma Branch is a reliable route in and out of New York City.

Ronkonkoma Branch Overview

Below is the branch overview.

Ronkonkoma Branch stations

• Penn Station

• Grand Central Madison

• Woodside

• Jamaica

• Kew Gardens

• Forest Hills

• Nassau Boulevard

• New Hyde Park

• Merillon Avenue

• Mineola

• Carle Place

• Westbury

• Hicksville

• Bethpage

• Farmingdale

• Pinelawn

• Wyandanch

• Deer Park

• Brentwood

• Central Islip

• Ronkonkoma

Here is the complete information on the Ronkonkoma Branch Stations.

Order	Station Name	Zone	ADA Accessible	Parking Available	Key Connections
1	Penn Station	1	Yes	No	NYC Subway, Amtrak, NJ Transit
2	Grand Central Madison	1	Yes	No	NYC Subway (4/5/6/7/S), Metro-North
3	Woodside	1	Yes	Limited	NYC Subway (7), Bus
4	Jamaica	3	Yes	Yes	AirTrain JFK, Subway, Bus
5	Hollis	3	No	No	Bus
6	Queens Village	3	No	Yes	Bus
7	Bellerose	3	No	Limited	Bus
8	Floral Park	4	No	Yes	Bus
9	New Hyde Park	4	No	Yes	Bus
10	Merillon Avenue	4	Yes	Limited	Bus
11	Mineola	4	Yes	Yes	NICE Bus, Nassau County hub
12	Carle Place	4	No	Yes	Bus
13	Westbury	4	Yes	Yes	Bus
14	Hicksville	7	Yes	Yes	NICE Bus, LIRR transfers
15	Bethpage	7	No	Yes	Bus
16	Farmingdale	9	Yes	Yes	Bus
17	Pinelawn	10	No	No	None
18	Wyandanch	10	Yes	Yes	Bus
19	Deer Park	10	Yes	Yes	Bus
20	Brentwood	10	Yes	Yes	Bus
21	Central Islip	10	Yes	Yes	Bus
22	Ronkonkoma	10	Yes	Yes (Large lot)	Bus, MacArthur Airport shuttle

Key Highlights

Below are the highlights.

1. Major East-West Corridor: A heavy-use L.I.R.R. branch between central Suffolk County and Manhattan.
2. Terminus at Ronkonkoma: Terminates at Ronkonkoma Station, a major hub with a large parking facility and shuttle access to MacArthur Airport.
3. Dual Terminals in Manhattan: Operate to both Penn Station and Grand Central Madison, providing commuting flexibility.
4. Frequent: Trains run frequently at peak hours, especially between Hicksville and NYC.
5. ADA Accessibility: Most stations, like Ronkonkoma, Jamaica, Hicksville, and Farmingdale, are ADA accessible.
6. Dariusz Reznikov, 2023-05-01 (2 starts with LIRR Expansion Project to increase reliability and capacity)
7. Easy Storage: Park-and-ride options at nearly every mid-to-east bound station.
8. TRANSFER CONNECTIONS: At Jamaica and Hicksville service on other LIRR branches.
9. Electric Service: Complete electrification of the line accelerates rides with smoother journeys.
10. Community Connectivity: Serves major towns including Brentwood, Farmingdale, Mineola, and Westbury.

Transfers & Connections

Ronkonkoma Station

• Transfer to Greenport Branch
• Transfers to Suffolk County Transit (S59, 6A, 6B)
• ISP (MacArthur Airport) Shuttle/taxi

Hicksville Station

• Transfer to Elaine E. Plansey Port Jefferson Branch Transfer to Elaine E. Plansey Port Jefferson Branch
• Oyster Bay Branch: Shuttle to Mineola
• GOOD BUS ROUTES (n22, n24, n48, n49)

Jamaica Station

• Key transfer hub to all LIRR branches
• AirTrain JFK for access to the airport
• NYC Subway: E, J, Z
• NYC Buses: Q6, Q8, Q40, Q44

Woodside Station

• Port Washington Branch Transfer
• Subway connection: 7 Train

Penn Station (Manhattan)

• Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E
• Transfers to Amtrak & NJ Transit
• Continue to the Port Authority bus terminal

Grand Central Madison

• LIRR transfers on the East Side of Manhattan
• Transfer to Metro-North Railroad
• Subways: 4, 5, 6, 7, S(Shuttle)

Parking & Accessibility Facilities

• Ronkonkoma Station: Large commuter lot, parking by permit & daily fee.
• Deer Park & Brentwood: Free parking & permit parking.
• Hicksville: Garage parking and EV charging stations.

Nearby Attractions:

• Long Island MacArthur Airport (near Ronkonkoma)
• Adventureland Amusement Park (near Farmingdale)
• Bethpage State Park (Farmingdale area)
• Tanger Outlets (around Deer Park)

Train Schedule

Weekday Eastbound Train Schedule:

Here is the Eastbound Train schedule.

Time	Train No.	Direction	Departure Station	Arrival Station	Key Stops	Notes
15:12	2046	Eastbound	Penn Station	Ronkonkoma	Jamaica, Hicksville, Central Islip	Starts peak
16:03	2050	Eastbound	Grand Central	Ronkonkoma	Hicksville, Brentwood	Peak hour
17:12	2058	Eastbound	Penn Station	Ronkonkoma	Bethpage, Deer Park, CI	Heavily crowded
18:45	2065	Eastbound	Penn Station	Ronkonkoma	All stops local	Peak ends
19:32	2069	Eastbound	Grand Central	Ronkonkoma	Limited stops	Off-peak
21:05	2076	Eastbound	Penn Station	Ronkonkoma	All stops	Evening low crowd

Weekday Westbound Train Schedule:

Here is the Westbound Train schedule.

Time	Train No.	Direction	Departure Station	Arrival Station	Key Stops	Notes
05:12	2001	Westbound	Ronkonkoma	Penn Station	Central Islip, Brentwood, Hicksville	Peak hour
06:03	2005	Westbound	Ronkonkoma	Grand Central	Deer Park, Wyandanch, Jamaica	Peak hour
06:45	2011	Westbound	Ronkonkoma	Penn Station	Farmingdale, Bethpage	Express from Hicksville
07:35	2019	Westbound	Ronkonkoma	Penn Station	Brentwood, Wyandanch	High commuter load
08:28	2025	Westbound	Ronkonkoma	Penn Station	Babylon Branch transfer at Hicksville	Off-peak
09:14	2031	Westbound	Ronkonkoma	Penn Station	Bethpage, Jamaica	Off-peak

Weekend Schedule (Both Directions):

Here is the Weekend schedule for both Eastbound and Westbound directions.

Time	Train No.	Direction	Departure Station	Arrival Station	Key Stops (sample)	Notes
06:15	3002	Westbound	Ronkonkoma	Penn Station	Central Islip, Brentwood, Hicksville	Early morning
07:00	3003	Eastbound	Penn Station	Ronkonkoma	Jamaica, Hicksville, Brentwood	Morning outbound
08:20	3004	Westbound	Ronkonkoma	Grand Central	Deer Park, Bethpage, Jamaica	Weekend commuter
09:15	3005	Eastbound	Grand Central	Ronkonkoma	Hicksville, Central Islip, Ronkonkoma	Leisure travelers
10:30	3006	Westbound	Ronkonkoma	Penn Station	All stops local	Mid-morning train
11:10	3007	Eastbound	Penn Station	Ronkonkoma	Jamaica, Brentwood, Deer Park	Steady flow
12:45	3008	Westbound	Ronkonkoma	Grand Central	Local + Express	Moderate crowd
13:30	3009	Eastbound	Grand Central	Ronkonkoma	Hicksville, Farmingdale, Wyandanch	Shopping traffic
15:05	3010	Westbound	Ronkonkoma	Penn Station	Local service	Afternoon ride
16:00	3011	Eastbound	Penn Station	Ronkonkoma	Express to Hicksville, then local	Slightly faster
17:30	3012	Westbound	Ronkonkoma	Grand Central	All stops	Evening service
18:20	3013	Eastbound	Grand Central	Ronkonkoma	Jamaica, Bethpage, CI	Evening rush
20:00	3014	Westbound	Ronkonkoma	Penn Station	All stops	Light load
21:05	3015	Eastbound	Penn Station	Ronkonkoma	Local service	Late service
23:15	3016	Westbound	Ronkonkoma	Grand Central	CI, Deer Park, Wyandanch	Final departures
00:05	3017	Eastbound	Penn Station	Ronkonkoma	Limited stops	Overnight train

Additional tips:

1. Go early at busy hours to get seats.
2. Which NYC train station to choose — Grand Central or Penn Station?
3. Use express trains where possible to shorten your journey.
4. Use free or easy weekend parking.
5. Transfer to other lines or JFK easily at Jamaica Station.