62-683: The Whitestone Branch was a branch of the Long Island Rail Road , running north and east along the left bank of the Flushing River from the Port Washington Branch near the modern Willets Point / Flushing sections of Queens , New York . It crossed the river on one of the three bridges that were later torn down for the Van Wyck Expressway , then ran north along Flushing Bay and east along
124-614: A contactless fare payment system. Fare payment would be made using Apple Pay , Google Pay , debit/credit cards with near-field communication enabled, or radio-frequency identification cards. As part of the implementation of OMNY, the MTA also plans to use the system in the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad. In December 2022, the MTA announced the launch of an additional fare for use on journeys that utilize both of its railroad systems via Grand Central. The fare
186-437: A proof of concept report in 2015. At the time of the report, express bus riders from Southeast Queens had some of the longest commutes in the city, with their commutes being 96 minutes long, yet they paid a premium fare of $ 6.50. Riders who take the dollar van to the subway paid $ 4.75 to get to Manhattan in 65 minutes; riders who only took the bus and subway paid $ 2.75 to get to Manhattan in 86 minutes; and riders who took
248-1663: A Glance Fiscal Year 2015" (PDF) . NJ Transit . March 2016 . Retrieved 2016-05-27 . ^ "Operations and Ridership Data" . Metra. 2016 . Retrieved 2017-06-28 . ^ "MBTA STATE OF THE SERVICE Commuter Rail" (PDF) . Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). 2014. p. 3 . Retrieved 2019-06-26 . ^ "Route Operating Statistics" . Retrieved 2024-03-22 . ^ "SEPTA - Media Guide" (PDF) . SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority). 2013. p. 7 . Retrieved 2016-05-27 . ^ "RTD - Facts & Figures" . Regional Transportation District. April 4, 2020 . Retrieved 2017-04-20 . ^ "Caltrain Modernization Quarterly Update" (PDF) . Caltrain . February 2016. p. 2 . Retrieved 2016-05-27 . ^ "Metrolink Southern California Regional Rail Authority Fact Sheet" (PDF) . Metrolink . 2018 . Retrieved 2020-03-06 . ^ "Transportation Division - Moving Around - Tri-Rail" . City of Fort Lauderdale . Retrieved 2016-05-27 . ^ "2015 Financial Plan" (PDF) . Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority ( Sound Transit ). June 2015. p. 3 . Retrieved 2016-05-27 . ^ "VRE Strategic Plan Executive Summary" (PDF) . Virginia Railway Express . May 2004. p. v . Retrieved 2014-03-26 . ^ Jay Jones (July 8, 2012). "Dunes Country choo-choo" . Chicago Tribune . Retrieved 2016-05-27 . Along
310-425: A LIRR spur to Grand Central Terminal that will run in part via the lower level of the existing 63rd Street Tunnel . The East Side Access project added a new eight-track terminal called Grand Central Madison underneath the existing Grand Central Terminal. The project was first proposed in the 1968 Program for Action , but due to various funding shortfalls, construction did not start until 2007. As of April 2018 ,
372-530: A family ticket for children who are accompanied by an 18-year-old for $ 0.75 if bought from the station agent or TVM, $ 1.00 on the train. Senior citizen/disabled passengers traveling during the morning peak hours are required to pay the AM peak senior citizen/disabled rate. This rate is not charged during PM peak hours. Commuters can also buy a peak or off-peak ten trip ride, a weekly unlimited or an unlimited monthly pass. Monthly passes are good on any train regardless of
434-730: A number of branches due to lack of ridership over the years. Part of the Rockaway Beach Branch became part of the IND Rockaway Line of the New York City Subway , while others were downgraded to freight branches, and the rest abandoned entirely. Additionally, the Long Island Rail Road operated trains over portions of the Brooklyn Rapid Transit (BRT) elevated and subway lines until 1917. In addition to its daily commuter patronage,
496-539: A second junction with Woodside Branch that lead to the Whitestone Branch, and crossing a short bridge before finally terminating at the freight dock. No trace of the spur is known as of 2016. The entire line was abandoned on February 15, 1932. Long Island Rail Road [REDACTED] Gray lines represent freight-only branches, and other colors represent the corresponding passenger branches. The Long Island Rail Road ( reporting mark LI ), or LIRR ,
558-5292: Is a list of commuter rail systems in the United States, ranked by ridership. All figures come from the American Public Transportation Association 's (APTA) Ridership Reports Statistics for the fourth quarter of 2023, unless otherwise indicated. List [ edit ] Rank System Major cities served Annual Ridership (2023) Average Weekday Ridership (Q1 2023) Route miles Daily Ridership per mile (Q1 2023) Year Opened Lines Stations 1 Long Island Rail Road New York 75,186,900 276,800 321 791 1834 11 124 2 Metro-North Railroad New York / Stamford / New Haven 60,569,700 235,300 385 492 1983 5 122 3 NJ Transit Rail Operations New York / Newark / Trenton / Philadelphia 57,179,000 140,666 530 265 1983 11 164 4 Metra Chicago 31,894,900 168,600 487.5 243 1984 11 241 5 MBTA Commuter Rail Boston / Worcester / Providence 26,190,500 109,300 388 220 1973 13 127 6 SEPTA Regional Rail Philadelphia / Trenton / Wilmington 17,910,709 77,700 280 173 1983 13 153 7 Denver RTD : A , B , N and G Lines Denver 8,559,700 19,850 40 496 2016 4 20 8 Caltrain San Francisco / San Jose 5,443,800 24,700 77 207 1863 1 32 9 Metrolink Los Angeles / San Bernardino / Anaheim / Riverside / Irvine 4,861,000 19,200 388 39 1992 7 62 10 Tri-Rail Miami / Fort Lauderdale 4,402,300 15,400 80.0 183 1987 2 19 11 FrontRunner Salt Lake City 3,736,600 15,000 88 140 2008 1 16 12 MARC Train Baltimore / Washington, D.C. 3,860,600 13,900 187 63 1984 3 43 13 Sounder commuter rail Seattle / Tacoma 1,630,000 7,300 83 61 2000 2 9 14 Virginia Railway Express Washington, D.C. 1,537,000 6,300 90 60 1992 2 18 15 South Shore Line Chicago / South Bend 1,406,900 6,300 90 51 1908 1 18 16 eBART Contra Costa County, California 1,292,200 4,500 10.1 435 2018 1 3 17 Trinity Railway Express Dallas / Fort Worth 1,163,600 4,100 34 112 1996 1 10 18 SunRail Orlando 1,083,300 4,600 49 88 2014 1 17 19 Keystone Service Philadelphia / Harrisburg 1,115,779 3,200 104.6 31 1972 1 12 20 Coaster San Diego / Oceanside 831,800 3,000 41 49 1995 1 8 21 Capitol Corridor San Jose / Oakland / Sacramento 921,112 1,847 168 11 1991 1 15 22 TEXRail Fort Worth 714,800 2,200 27 62 2019 1 9 23 Sonoma–Marin Area Rail Transit San Rafael / Santa Rosa 749,700 3,400 45 46 2017 1 12 24 CapMetro Rail Austin 485,400 1,600 32 46 2010 1 9 25 Downeaster Boston / Brunswick, Maine 542,639 1,219 148 8 2001 1 12 26 Rail Runner Express Albuquerque / Santa Fe 584,400 2,800 97 18 2006 1 13 27 Altamont Corridor Express San Jose / Stockton 576,300 3,100 86 22 1998 1 10 28 Shore Line East New Haven 176,979 600 59 10 1990 1 13 29 A-Train Denton, Texas 233,500 1,000 21 28 2011 1 6 30 WES Commuter Rail Beaverton, Oregon 116,300 300 15 33 2009 1 5 31 WeGo Star Nashville 108,000 500 32 13 2006 1 7 32 Northstar Line Minneapolis 142,200 500 40 8 2009 1 7 Systems excluded from ridership table [ edit ] System Largest city(s) served Opened Route length Reason(s) for exclusion from Ridership table Hartford Line Hartford / New Haven / Springfield 2018 63 APTA does not provide ridership figures for this system. Arrow San Bernardino 2022 9 This system
620-547: Is a railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York , stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County on Long Island . The railroad currently operates a public commuter rail service, with its freight operations contracted to the New York and Atlantic Railway . With an average weekday ridership of 354,800 passengers in 2016, it is the busiest commuter railroad in North America. It
682-726: Is also not valid for travel to the Elmont station or the special event only Belmont Park station, which are just barely east of the Queens-Nassau border and thus are within Zone 4. In late 2017, the MTA was slated to launch a pilot that will allow LIRR, bus and subway service to use one ticket. The proposal for the ticket, called the "Freedom Ticket," was initially put forth by the New York City Transit Riders Council (NYCTRC) in 2007. The NYCTRC wrote
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#1732772911269744-505: Is also one of the world's few commuter systems that runs 24/7 year-round. It is publicly owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , which refers to it as MTA Long Island Rail Road . In 2023, the system had a ridership of 75,186,900, or about 276,800 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. The LIRR logo combines the circular MTA logo with the text Long Island Rail Road , and appears on
806-569: Is averaged from the 2023 First Quarter Ridership figure for this system. ^ Q4 2022 References [ edit ] ^ "Public Transportation Ridership Report Fourth Quarter 2023" (PDF) . American Public Transportation Association (APTA). March 4, 2024 . Retrieved 2024-03-24 . ^ "Public Transportation Ridership Report First Quarter 2023" (PDF) . American Public Transportation Association (APTA). May 30, 2023 . Retrieved 2023-09-05 . ^ "Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for
868-562: Is currently too new for APTA to provide ridership figures. See also [ edit ] Commuter rail in North America List of rail transit systems in the United States List of United States light rail systems List of United States local bus agencies List of United States rapid transit systems Notes [ edit ] ^ There are 3 lines operated directly by Metro North,
930-435: Is priced as $ 8 more than an adult off-peak ticket from an origin station on one system to Grand Central. It is valid on both peak and off-peak trains. The LIRR is relatively isolated from the rest of the national rail system despite operating out of Penn Station, the nation's busiest rail terminal. It connects with other railroads in just two locations: All LIRR trains have an engineer (driver in non-US English) who operates
992-672: Is valid for travel within zones 1 and 3 on the Long Island Railroad. CityTickets can only be bought before boarding, except at Willets Point where they can be purchased on board, and they must be used on the day of purchase. CityTicket was originally not valid for travel to Far Rockaway because the station is in Zone 4 (despite being within the city limits) and the Far Rockaway Branch passes through Nassau County . In May 2023, MTA officials announced that they would expand CityTicket to Far Rockaway. CityTicket
1054-683: The Harlem Line , Hudson Line , and New Haven Line . The Port Jervis Line is operated under contract by NJ Transit , which also owns the Pascack Valley Line that extends into New York. The New Haven Line has 3 branch lines, the New Canaan Branch , Danbury Branch , and Waterbury Branch . ^ This is the Average Daily Ridership figure, not an "Average Weekday Ridership" figure – it
1116-644: The Laurelton , Locust Manor , Rosedale , and St. Albans stations in Queens. Riders, under the pilot, would be able to purchase one-way, weekly, or monthly passes that will be valid on the LIRR, on buses, and the subway. The fare will be higher than the price of a ride on the MetroCard , but it will be lower than the combined price of an LIRR ticket and a MetroCard, and it will allow unlimited free transfers between
1178-666: The Port Washington Branch . The sixth platform opened in February 2020, and exclusively serves Atlantic Branch shuttle trains to Brooklyn. Transfer is also made to separate facilities for three subway services at the Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport station ( E , J , and Z trains), a number of bus routes, and the AirTrain automated people mover to JFK Airport . The railroad's headquarters are next to
1240-406: The 20th century, the LIRR did not begin using signals with color lights on its above ground sections until 2006. Some portions of the railway lack automatic signals and cab signals completely, instead train and track car movements are governed only by timetable and verbal/written train orders , although these areas are gradually receiving modern signals. Many other signals and switching systems on
1302-999: The 90-mile route, sightseeing and recreational opportunities are plentiful... ^ "SunRail Celebrates Phase 2 Groundbreaking" . SunRail. April 22, 2016 . Retrieved 2016-05-27 . ^ "COASTER Fact Sheet" (PDF) . North County Transit District . January 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-11-05 . Retrieved 2013-12-21 . ^ "Stations" . ^ "Data and Statistics - Fast Facts" . Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority . 2013 . Retrieved 2014-05-22 . ^ Dan Leavitt (July 23, 2015). "ACEforward IMPROVING THE ALTAMONT CORRIDOR EXPRESS" (PDF) . San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission. p. 1 . Retrieved 2016-05-27 . Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_United_States_commuter_rail_systems&oldid=1259082333 " Categories : Commuter rail in
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#17327729112691364-700: The East River to Whitestone . Originally conceived as a branch of the Flushing and North Side Railroad that was intended to lead into Westchester County, New York (a connection that never materialized) in 1869, it was consolidated into the Long Island Rail Road in 1876 when its owners, the Poppenhusen family, took over the bankrupt LIRR. It later became part of a subsidiary called the Long Island City and Flushing Railroad . On October 12, 1912,
1426-589: The Hamptons and Montauk on the Cannonball can reserve a seat in the all-reserved Parlor Cars. Prior to November 2021, passengers going to Belmont Park had to buy a special ticket to go from Jamaica to Belmont Park (or vice versa). Weekly and monthly passes were not accepted at Belmont Park. With the opening of Elmont station in November 2021, Belmont Park and Elmont were placed into fare zone 4. In 2003,
1488-509: The LIRR also offers the following services: Penn Station offers connections with Amtrak intercity trains and NJ Transit commuter trains, as well as the PATH , New York City Subway , and New York City Bus systems. Grand Central offers connections with Metro-North Railroad, as well as the subway and bus systems. Additionally, almost all stations in Brooklyn and Queens offer connections with
1550-498: The LIRR and Metro-North started a pilot program in which passengers traveling within New York City were allowed to buy one-way tickets for $ 2.50. The special reduced-fare CityTicket, proposed by the New York City Transit Riders Council, was formally introduced in 2004. The discounted fares were initially only available for travel on Saturdays and Sundays. In March 2022, it was expanded to include all off-peak trains throughout
1612-668: The LIRR are being modernized and upgraded as part of the Main Line's Third Track Project, most notably at Mineola, where the system is being completely redone and modernized. On portions of the railroad equipped with ASC, engineers consult the speed display unit, which is capable of displaying seven speed indications. As a result of a December 1, 2013, train derailment in the Bronx on the Metro-North Railroad, railroads with similar cab signal systems to Metro-North, such as
1674-662: The LIRR are under the control of the Movement Bureau in Jamaica, which gives orders to the towers that control a specific portion of the railroad. Movements in Amtrak territory are controlled by Penn Station Control Center or PSCC, run jointly by the LIRR and Amtrak. The PSCC controls as far east as Harold Interlocking , in Sunnyside, Queens . The PSCC replaced several towers. The Jamaica Control Center, operational since
1736-454: The LIRR during the first half of the new century, allowing expansion and modernization. Electric operation began in 1905. After World War II , the railroad industry's downturn and dwindling profits caused the PRR to stop subsidizing the LIRR, and the LIRR went into receivership in 1949. The State of New York , realizing how important the railroad was to Long Island's future, began to subsidize
1798-636: The LIRR paid $ 10 to get to Manhattan in 35 minutes. Unlike the CityTicket, the Freedom Ticket would be valid for off-peak and multidirectional travel; have free transfers to the subway and bus system; and be capped at $ 215 per month. At the time, monthly CityTickets cost $ 330 per month. The Freedom Ticket will initially be available for sale at the Atlantic Terminal , Nostrand Avenue , and East New York stations in Brooklyn and at
1860-707: The LIRR to abandon the line in 1932. Most of the branch was removed, except a small section of the line leading to the Corona Yard which remained well into the 1970s when the LIRR closed the Corona Yard and turned it over to the New York City Transit Authority for subway use. Today, only a small section of track remains just east of Mets–Willets Point station , branching off from the Port Washington Branch east of
1922-620: The LIRR would procure new M9 railcars from Kawasaki . A 2014 MTA forecast indicated that the LIRR would need 416 M9 railcars; 180 to replace the outdated M3 railcars and an additional 236 railcars for the additional passengers expected once the East Side Access project is complete. The first M9s entered revenue service on September 11, 2019. The LIRR also uses 134 C3 bilevel coaches powered by 24 DE30AC diesel-electric locomotives and 20 DM30AC dual-mode locomotives . They are used mostly on non-electrified branches, including
Whitestone Branch - Misplaced Pages Continue
1984-469: The LIRR, buses, and subway. The former head of the MTA, Thomas Prendergast, announced at the January 2017 board meeting that the plan would be explored in a field study to determine fares and the impact on existing service. The plan is intended to fill approximately 20,000 unused seats of existing trains to Atlantic Terminal and Penn Station (or about 50% to 60% of peak trains in each direction), while at
2046-554: The LIRR, were ordered to modify the systems to enforce certain speed limit changes, which has resulted in lower average speeds and actual speed limits across the LIRR. The LIRR's electrified lines are powered via a third rail at 750 volts DC . The LIRR's electric fleet consists of 836 M7 and 170 M3 electric multiple unit cars in married pairs, meaning each car needs the other one to operate, with each car containing its own engineer's cab. The trainsets typically range from 6 to 12 cars long. In September 2013, MTA announced that
2108-594: The Main Line. On the western end it provides service on the surviving freight-only tracks of the LIRR: the Bay Ridge and Bushwick branches; the "Lower Montauk" between Jamaica and Long Island City; and to an interchange connection at Fresh Pond Junction in Queens with the CSX , Canadian Pacific , and Providence and Worcester railroads. Some non-electrified lines are used only for freight: The East Side Access project built
2170-527: The New York City Bus system, and several stations also have transfers to New York City Subway stations. Transfers to Nassau Inter-County Express and Suffolk County Transit buses are available at many stations in Nassau and Suffolk counties, respectively. Like Metro-North Railroad and NJ Transit, the Long Island Rail Road fare system is based on the distance a passenger travels, as opposed to
2232-899: The New York City Subway and the area's bus systems, which charge a flat rate. The railroad is broken up into eight non-consecutively numbered fare zones. Zone 1, the City Terminal Zone , includes Penn Station, Grand Central, all stations in Brooklyn, all stations in Queens west of Jamaica on the Main Line, and Mets–Willets Point. Zone 3 includes Jamaica as well as all other stations in eastern Queens except Far Rockaway. Zones 4 and 7 include all stations in Nassau County, plus Far Rockaway and Belmont Park in Queens. Zones 9, 10, 12 and 14 include all stations in Suffolk County. Each zone contains many stations, and
2294-468: The Port Jefferson, Oyster Bay, Montauk, Central, and Greenport Branches. There are also 23 MP15AC locomotives in use as work trains and yard switchers. For most of its history LIRR has served commuters, but it had many named trains, some with all-first class seating, parlor cars, and full bar service. Few of them lasted past World War II, but some names were revived during the 1950s and 1960s as
2356-1052: The Years Ended December 31, 2012 and 2011" (PDF) . Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) . June 21, 2013. p. 146 . Retrieved 2014-08-29 . ^ "Long Island Rail Road - General Information" . Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) . Retrieved 2014-03-23 . ^ "Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the Years Ended December 31, 2012 and 2011" (PDF) . Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) . June 21, 2013. p. 147 . Retrieved 2014-08-29 . ^ "MTA Metro-North Railroad - MNR About MNR" . Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) . Retrieved 2014-03-23 . ^ "New Jersey State Rail Plan" (PDF) . State of New Jersey, Department of Transportation. April 2015. p. ES-5 . Retrieved 2016-05-27 . ^ "NJ Transit - About Us - History & Structure" . NJ Transit . 2014 . Retrieved 2014-03-23 . ^ "NJ Transit Facts at
2418-441: The branch was electrified. In the 1920s, the branch began to lose patronage and the LIRR sought to rid itself of the line. There was a proposal for the city-owned Independent Subway System to buy the line and incorporate it into the New York City Subway system. The deal was not successful, most likely due to the numerous grade crossings that would have been extremely costly to remove. The Interstate Commerce Commission allowed
2480-551: The busiest commuter railroad in the United States. The LIRR is one of the few railroads that has survived as an intact company from its original charter to the present. The LIRR operates out of four western terminals in New York City. These terminals are: In addition, the Jamaica station is a major hub station and transfer point in Jamaica, Queens . It has ten tracks and six platforms, plus yard and bypass tracks. Passengers can transfer between trains on all LIRR lines except
2542-503: The diesel service beyond Babylon to Montauk is referred to as Montauk Branch service. All branches except the Port Washington Branch pass through Jamaica ; the trackage west of Jamaica (except the Port Washington Branch ) is known as the City Terminal Zone . The City Terminal Zone includes portions of the Main Line, Atlantic, and Montauk Branches, as well as the Amtrak -owned East River Tunnels to Penn Station. The railroad has dropped
Whitestone Branch - Misplaced Pages Continue
2604-409: The full length of the island and eight major branches, with the passenger railroad system totaling 319 route miles (513 km). As of 2018 , the LIRR's budget for expenditures was $ 1.6 billion plus $ 450 million for debt service, which it supports through the collection of fares (which cover 43% of total expenses) along with dedicated taxes and other MTA revenue. The Long Island Rail Road Company
2666-530: The island. In the 1870s, railroad president Conrad Poppenhusen and his successor, Austin Corbin acquired all the railroads and consolidated them into the LIRR. The LIRR was unprofitable for much of its history. In 1900, the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) bought a controlling interest as part of its plan for direct access to Manhattan which began on September 8, 1910. The wealthy PRR subsidized
2728-642: The need for better railroad freight service in New York City and on Long Island . Both areas are primarily served by trucking for freight haulage, an irony in a region with the most extensive rail transit service in the Americas, as well as the worst traffic conditions. Proposals for a Cross-Harbor Rail Tunnel for freight have existed for years to alleviate these issues, and, in recent years, there have been many new pushes for its construction by officials. Financial issues, as well as bureaucracy, remain major hurdles in constructing it. In May 1997, freight service
2790-536: The pilot program has led the MTA to extend the program up to the summer of 2020 and renewed calls for the program to be implemented within New York City, where the fare for the Freedom Ticket—if approved—would cost US$ 2.75 and include free transfers between the LIRR & Metro-North, bus, and subway. In 2017, it was announced that the MetroCard fare payment system, used on New York City-area rapid transit and bus systems, would be phased out and replaced by OMNY ,
2852-526: The project was expected to cost $ 11.1 billion and was tentatively scheduled to start service in December 2022. It opened on January 25, 2023, with limited shuttle service between Jamaica and Grand Central. Full service to Grand Central began on February 27, 2023. List of United States commuter rail systems by ridership (Redirected from List of United States commuter rail systems by ridership ) The following
2914-442: The railroad expanded its east end parlor car service with luxury coaches and Pullman cars from railroads that were discontinuing their passenger trains. The LIRR and other railroads that became part of the system have always had freight service, though this has diminished. The process of shedding freight service accelerated with the acquisition of the railroad by New York State. In the 21st century, there has been some appreciation of
2976-435: The railroad in the 1950s and 1960s. In June 1965, the state finalized an agreement to buy the LIRR from the PRR for $ 65 million. The LIRR was placed under the control of a new Metropolitan Commuter Transit Authority . The MCTA was rebranded the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 1968 when it incorporated several other New York City-area transit agencies. With MTA subsidies the LIRR modernized further, continuing to be
3038-401: The railroad utilizes a variety of wayside railroad signals including position light, color light and dwarf signals. In addition, much of the LIRR is equipped with a bi-directional Pulse code cab signaling called automatic speed control (ASC), though portions of the railway still retain single direction, wayside-only signaling. Unlike other railroads, which began using color-light signals in
3100-493: The same fare applies for travel between any station in the origin zone and any station in the destination zone. Peak fares are charged during the week on trains that arrive at western terminals between 6 AM and 10 AM, and for trains that depart from western terminals between 4 PM and 8 PM. Any passenger holding an off-peak ticket on a peak train is required to pay a step up fee. Passengers can buy tickets from ticket agents or ticket vending machines (TVMs) or on
3162-647: The same time providing affordable service to people with long commutes. The details were to be announced in spring 2017, and the pilot would last six months. The MTA Board voted to approve a six-month pilot for a similar concept, the Atlantic Ticket, in May 2018. The Atlantic Ticket is similar in that it would allow LIRR riders in southeast Queens to purchase a one-way ticket to or from Atlantic Terminal for $ 5. The Atlantic Ticket would start in June 2018. The success of
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#17327729112693224-601: The section of the line in Whitestone Landing. The Flushing Bay Freight Spur was a freight-only spur that lead to a freight dock on Flushing Bay just west of the Flushing River delta. It began at the Whitestone Branch just north of the junction with the Port Washington Branch, then crossed a junction with a spur of the Woodside Branch leading to Great Neck Junction and the Central Branch , and
3286-661: The sides of trains. The LIRR is one of two commuter rail systems owned by the MTA, the other being the Metro-North Railroad in the northern suburbs of the New York area. Established in 1834 (the first section between the Brooklyn waterfront and Jamaica opened on April 18, 1836) and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest railroad in the United States still operating under its original name and charter. There are 126 stations and more than 700 miles (1,100 km) of track on its two main lines running
3348-532: The station. The Long Island Rail Road system has eleven passenger branches, three of which are main trunk lines: There are eight minor branches. For scheduling and advertising purposes some of these branches are divided into sections; this is the case with the Montauk Branch, which is known as the Babylon Branch service in the electrified portion of the line between Jamaica and Babylon, while
3410-681: The station. The Flushing–Main Street station of the Port Washington Branch was so named to distinguish it from the Whitestone's Flushing–Bridge Street station. Despite the closing of the Bridge Street station, the LIRR continues to use the name "Main Street" for the Port Washington Branch station to this day. A spur of the line near the Flushing River was abandoned when it went underwater in 1983. Private homes have been built over
3472-514: The third quarter of 2010, controls the area around Jamaica terminal by direct control of interlockings. This replaced several towers in Jamaica including Jay and Hall towers at the west and east ends of Jamaica station respectively. At additional locations, line side towers control the various switches and signals in accordance with the timetable and under the direction of the Movement Bureau in Jamaica. Today's LIRR signal system has evolved from its legacy Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR)-based system, and
3534-448: The time of day, within the fare zones specified on the pass. The LIRR charged off-peak fares at all times during the COVID-19 pandemic . Peak fares were reinstated on March 1, 2022, and several new discounts and ticket options were introduced at the same time. During the summer the railroad offers special summer package ticket deals to places such as Long Beach, Jones Beach, the Hamptons, Montauk, and Greenport. Passengers traveling to
3596-427: The train from conductors, but will incur an on-board penalty fee for doing so. This fee is waived for customers boarding at a station without a ticket office or ticket machine, senior citizens, people with disabilities or Medicare customers. There are several types of tickets: one way, round trip, peak, off-peak, AM peak or off-peak senior/disabled, peak child, and off-peak child. On off-peak trains, passengers can buy
3658-441: The train, and a conductor who is responsible for the safe movement of the train, fare collection and on-board customer service. In addition, trains may have one or more assistant conductors to assist with fare collection and other duties. The LIRR is one of the last railroads in the United States to use mechanical interlocking control towers to regulate rail traffic. As of 2016 , the LIRR has 8 active control towers. All movements on
3720-419: The week for $ 5. The MTA announced plans in December 2022 to allow CityTickets to be used on peak trains as well; governor Kathy Hochul confirmed these plans the next month. The peak CityTickets, as announced in July 2023, would cost $ 7 each. As part of a one-year pilot program starting in July 2024, monthly tickets for LIRR trips entirely within New York City would also receive a 10% discount. CityTicket
3782-456: Was chartered in 1834 to provide a daily service between New York City and Boston via a ferry connection between its Greenport, New York , terminal on Long Island's North Fork and Stonington, Connecticut . This service was superseded in 1849 by the land route through Connecticut that became part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad . The LIRR refocused its attentions towards serving Long Island, in competition with other railroads on
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#17327729112693844-412: Was franchised on a 20-year term to the New York and Atlantic Railway (NYAR), a short line railroad owned by the Anacostia and Pacific Company . It has its own equipment and crews, but uses the rail facilities of the LIRR. To the east, freight service operates to the end of the West Hempstead Branch, to Huntington on the Port Jefferson Branch, to Bridgehampton on the Montauk Branch, and to Riverhead on
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