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Mass transit services boosted during Pope Francis visit – Metro US

Mass transit services boosted during Pope Francis visit

Mass transit services boosted during Pope Francis visit
Andrew Burton/Getty Images

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority will step up trains and subways as streets around the city will be closed during both the papal visit and the United Nations General Assembly soon after.

MTA officials recommended New Yorkers and visitors stick to the subways as traffic congestion will follow the pope throughout his trek as he travels between East Harlem, midtown and lower Manhattan.

RELATED:MAP: NYC street closures during Pope Francis’ visit

The transit agency also plans to deploy more workers to stations near Pope Francis’ scheduled stops at: St. Patrick’s on Thursday; Upper East Side, East Harlem and the World Trade Center on Friday; and both Central Park and Madison Square Garden on Saturday.

The state agency warned security concerns during the Mass might force them to close individual staircases at Penn Station, which will otherwise will stay open during the religious service.

LIRR riders can count on eight extra westbound trains into Penn Station on Friday:

  • three on the Babylon Branch leaving Babylon at 12:20 p.m., 12:43 p.m. and 1:20 p.m.
  • two on the Port Jefferson Branch leaving Huntington at 12:19 p.m. and 1:19 p.m.
  • one on the Port Jefferson Branch leaving Hicksville at 1:07 p.m.
  • and two on the Ronkonkoma Branch leaving Ronkonkoma at 12:40 p.m. and 1:40 p.m.

RELATED:Pope Francis visit only one of many events having city scrambling in September

Metro-North will also offer more train service and have more crew personnel on hand at Grand Central Terminal. Trains will run on a normal schedule until Friday, when it will operate three additional inbound trains scheduled to:

  • leave Poughkeepsie on the Hudson Line at 10:37 a.m.;
  • leave Southeast on the Harlem Line at 10:08 a.m.;
  • and leave Fairfield Metro on the New Haven Line at 11:00 a.m.

Up to date information on potential MTA service changes can be found at mta.info.

Folks coming across the Hudson can also expect a few changes on Friday. PATH riders will see additional service on the Journal Square to 33rd Street and Hoboken to 33rd Street lines.

The World Trade Center PATH station will still be accessible via the Vesey Street or West Concourse entrances.