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when will the lirr resume service

The Long Island Rail Road is set to resume full service at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, February 25, 2026 , after the recent blizzard, with limited service already running before that on select branches starting at 4 a.m. Tuesday.

Quick Scoop: When will the LIRR resume service?

After a powerful multi‑day blizzard dumped close to two feet of snow on parts of the region, LIRR service has been coming back in stages.

What’s happening right now

  • Limited LIRR service began running at 4 a.m. Tuesday on several major branches, including Ronkonkoma, Huntington, Babylon, Oyster Bay, Montauk, and Port Washington.
  • Crews are still clearing more than 700 miles of track and multiple yards, so some delays and modified schedules are expected.

Riders are being urged to check the TrainTime app or MTA site before heading out , since some trains may be altered or canceled while cleanup continues.

Full service return

  • The MTA has announced that full LIRR service will be restored starting at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, February 25, 2026.
  • Even with “full service” on the schedule, officials are warning there could still be:
    • Isolated cancellations
    • Adjusted departure times
    • Slower trips due to residual storm impacts

Think of Wednesday as “normal on paper, a bit messy in reality” — trains are back, but the system is still recovering.

What people are saying in forums

On transit and local Long Island forums, riders have been asking the same question you are: “When will service resume?”

Common themes from those discussions:

  • Confusion over the term “limited service” – many posts note that the phrase doesn’t precisely explain which trains are running or how often.
  • Some users relay what they’ve heard: limited service from 4 a.m., but nobody can fully define it beyond “check the app or website.”
  • Local social media posts echo that safety and cleanup are the priority , and that full, reliable commuting may lag a bit behind the official resumption time.

A typical sentiment is: “Yes, trains are technically running, but plan for delays and have a backup if you absolutely must be at work on time.”

Practical tips if you need to ride

If you’re planning to commute:

  1. Check the LIRR TrainTime app or MTA website right before leaving home for live departure info and branch‑specific changes.
  1. Build in extra buffer time, especially Tuesday and early Wednesday, in case of cancellations or slow running.
  1. Watch local news updates (e.g., ABC7NY, CBS New York) for any sudden changes due to ongoing snow cleanup work.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.