How many take the LIRR? (Hempstead, Babylon: home, living in, costs)

[Johninwestbury]

I'm curoius as to what are everyone's thoughts on the LIRR service here.
I think it's pretty good for us, my stationhouse in Westbury is pretty nice and service is good during rush hour (though I'd like to see more trains stopping here off hours..I think its busy enough).
The only lines that seem to be bad are the ones in Suffolk mainly, esp the diesel branches. Patchogue has pretty good service though compared to Port Jeff. Not a whole lot of parking out there though.
The shortest commute seems to be for the Port Washington branch, which could explain why property values are so high and ex-city residents make that area their first choice. I aint thrilled with the Great Neck stationhouse though, I think Westbury is nicer.
The main "crush load" stations seem to be Hicksville and Ronkonkoma. Those stations get alot of ppl going to them. As far as the line with the best overall service, I'd have to pick the Babylon line. It also has no grade crossings.

[Smash255]

I take the Babylon line (Massapequa). For the most part the service is pretty decent, although from time to tme can be problematic. Sometimes due to weather and other times who knows. The only problem I generally have is parking since I usually go in for 9:30 and usually on the 8:18 train (though its a bit better now that its summer). With the exception of the summer, and fridays during the rest of the year I usually have to park in a Municipal lot behind the Central Ave library which is a good 3-4 minute walk from the tracks (and 2-3 more minutes from the east side of the train, as I want the back of the train since I take the 2/3 train downtown. Sometimes even when I am on the 8:03 or even 7:53 train I have to park in that back lot since all the other lots are completley filled. Getting a seat on the train I usually take home can be a bit tough at times (6:33) though again a bit better now that its the summer, but for the most part don't have any real problems with the LIRR.

[Johninwestbury]

The trains do seem to be more crowded. Alot of people are taking the train because of gas prices. I noticed the usual "summer lull" in ridership hasn't really materialized, at least not on my trains, and that is a result, I believe, of more people choosing the train because of the high gas prices.
I usually get a seat, but when I have to travel east the reverse direction trains are packed and I stand.

[AlexisT]

Ridership is at its highest level since 1949.

ETA: Agreed with Hicksville being a crush; Huntington can be as well. best service is Port Washington. Most frequent and no change at Jamaica. This is why Great Neck/Manhasset is so popular. You can't beat the commute.

[nancy thereader]

Well, when I was still working (ahem... ), I took the Babylon branch which was really not too bad. You can read the paper in the morning and pretty much you are there.

But, as a kid heading into the city , I took the Manhasset line . My Dad would drive me because that meant I would not have to change at Jamaica. That was really great although I did not appreciate it at the time, of course.

As a young mom, I traveled all the way from Setauket. That was horrendous and I was exhausted every minute of the day. I just think that it affected every part of my life, the five hour commute.

[Transpl]

Loving the Babylon commute so far, 2 weeks living in town and no delays, always have the seat next to me open as well. I take the Speonk double decker in and out.

[SamTheCatRocks]

The Babylon branch is normally quite good. Penn to Rockville Centre is normally 40 minutes for an express train (a bit longer if you're making every local stop).

I'd rather be reading on the way to work rather than battling behind the wheel and dealing with the gas prices. The train isn't cheap ($206 for a monthly), but neither is gas.

[omigawd]

I like the Babylon branch although, at times, it seems like the never-ending train ride -- like the train just gets going and it has to make a stop.

The Ronkonkoma branch isn't too bad.... much quicker than Babylon.

I haven't tried any of the other branches.

[TVR1997]

I take the LIRR Hempstead branch, which is pretty awful. The train takes approximately 1 hour to Hempstead from Penn, people get to Babylon & Huntington faster. I used to drive to Westbury and catch the express trains there, but its zone 7 and costs a bit more. It takes about 40 minutes to Westbury on the express, but 1 hour to Hempstead and Westbury is further east, but the first stop on the express. The Hempstead line has very little through service to Penn (and none at nights/weekends, all go to Flatbush Ave). There are two morning *express* trains (they don't stop at Jamaica and the dreaded Hollis/Queens Village stops). There are no, I repeat no express trains in the evenings. And now, with the summer track work, some genius at the LIRR decided to reduce the service, so from there's a 31 minute gap in the 7:00 hour in trains to Penn in the morning. There's a 7:00, 7:10 and 7:41 (couldn't someone have done a better job of spacing them here). Just terrible.

[Ziggi813]

We recently moved from Bayside to Woodbury L.I. My husband uses the LIRR every day. He went from using the POrt washington train line to the syosset train line. He complains all the time! He went from a 20 minute commute to an almost 1 hour commute. The syosset train station parking lot is filled up by 7:30 am (which he makes) He says that the train is packed and at full capacity and lots of people have to stand. He also complains that the LIRR is cutting back and puts very little air conditioning on---he mostly takes the express trains to Penn but on the occasion he has to stop in Jamaica which he hates. The port washington line is clearly the best line.