In response to requests from constituents racing to make it home in time for Shabbos, NY State Senator Todd Kaminsky has called on Long Island Rail Road President Patrick Nowakowski to better accommodate Shomer Shabbos commuters in the Five Town by adding an additional train to its Friday “Sundown Service” schedule on the Far Rockaway branch.
“Observant residents in the Five Towns are hardworking, taxpaying citizens and deserve to be able to follow the tenets of their faith while fulfilling their professional responsibilities,” Senator Kaminsky wrote in a letter to the LIRR on Tuesday. “Please help them do this by considering adding a train on Friday afternoons.”
Currently, the LIRR offers a “Sundown Service” train on Fridays, which departs from Penn Station at 3:07 p.m. and connects in Jamaica Station at 3:31 p.m., en route to the Five Towns via the Far Rockaway branch. However, this train does not meet the needs of many Shomer Shabbos commuters during the winter months, when Shabbos begins as early as 4:10 p.m. The addition of another eastbound train to the Five Towns earlier before sundown would give residents more flexibility and peace of mind when commuting home on a hectic Friday afternoon.
“I urge the LIRR to make the requisite changes to accommodate our community,” concluded Senator Kaminsky. “This minor modification will go a long way in helping our families balance their work and home lives, and I will continue to work with transit officials to ensure that future schedule changes are done to benefit our community.”
{Matzav.com}
Stop working job on Fridays . Enjoy the morning and the good cooking. Ah the smell of the fish, cholent, and soup, gevaldik. The train is for Monday hasta jueves. Adios amigos.