LIRR adds more train service to and from Barclays Center for Islanders games

Barclays Center and Nets CEO Brett Yormark teased a little while back that Islanders fans would be happy with the results of a meeting he had with the Long Island Railroad, and entity famous for making very few people happy.

Well, today we found out what Yormark was talking about through a report from Newsday, which details the LIRR's plan to add extra trains to and from Atlantic Avenue on game days.

Among the changes are new trains departing Atlantic Avenue after weekday games on the Babylon and Farmingdale lines, and new trains heading to the arena on weekends. Times will also be posted at monitors around the arena. From Newsday:

The enhanced service will include two additional eastbound trains to Babylon and Farmingdale, respectively, that will depart Atlantic Terminal 20 minutes after the end of Islanders weekday home games. Fans will change at Jamaica for all other branches.

For hockey fans heading to Barclays Center to attend weekday games, the LIRR is keeping its existing westbound schedule, which provides direct service on the Hempstead and Far Rockaway branches, and trains departing from Jamaica about every 15 minutes.

On weekends, the LIRR will add two pregame westbound trains into Brooklyn, as well as two postgame eastbound trains.

The additions are the result of some research the railroad did on rider tendencies to Barclays events. No doubt the many, many complaints issued during the Islanders two preseason games at the arena also played a role.

The switch to mostly public transportation after 43 years at a cars-only Coliseum was always going to be a big hurdle for Islanders fans to get over. That's not me throwing stones at glass houses; anyone that follows me on Twitter will know my stance on the living purgatory known as NJ Transit.

But for all the grief I've given the LIRR forever, this is at least an effort to get people to and from Brooklyn more directly than ever. Maybe it's great, maybe it's not, maybe it's not perfect but you'll live with it.

Try it. Maybe you'll like it. And if not, let them know.