The LIRR logo combines the circular MTA logo with the textLong Island Rail Road, and appears on the sides of trains. The LIRR is one of two commuter rail systems owned by the MTA, the other being theMetro-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.[7][8][9]
There are 126 stations and more than 700 miles (1,100 km) of track[9] on its two main lines running the full length of the island and eight major branches, with the passenger railroad system totaling 319route miles (513 km).[10] As of 2018[update], 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.[11][12]
Station, Bay Shore, Long Island, September 1879., a collodion silver glass wet plate negative by George Bradford Brainerd now on display at theBrooklyn MuseumLIRR (Montauk & NY)RPO cover (TR27) for the railroad's 100th anniversary in April 1934
TheLong Island Rail Road Company was chartered in 1834 to provide a daily service betweenNew York City andBoston via a ferry connection between itsGreenport, New York, terminal on Long Island's North Fork andStonington, Connecticut. This service was superseded in 1849 by the land route through Connecticut that became part of theNew York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. The LIRR refocused its attentions towards serving Long Island, in competition with other railroads on the island. In the 1870s, railroad presidentConrad Poppenhusen and his successor,Austin Corbin acquired all the railroads and consolidated them into the LIRR.[13]
The LIRR was unprofitable for much of its history. In 1900, thePennsylvania Railroad (PRR) bought a controlling interest as part ofits plan for direct access to Manhattan, which began on September 8, 1910. The wealthy PRR subsidized the LIRR during the first half of the new century, allowing expansion and modernization.[7] Electric operation began in 1905.[14]
AfterWorld War II, the railroad industry's downturn and dwindling profits caused the PRR to stop subsidizing the LIRR, and the LIRR went intoreceivership in 1949. TheState of New York, realizing how important the railroad was to Long Island's future, began to subsidize the railroad in the 1950s and continued doing so into the 1960s. In June 1965, the state finalized an agreement to buy the LIRR from the PRR for $65 million.[15] The LIRR was placed under the control of a newMetropolitan Commuter Transit Authority.[16] The MCTA was rebranded theMetropolitan Transportation Authority in 1968 when it incorporated several other New York City-area transit agencies.[17][18] With MTA subsidies the LIRR modernized further, continuing to be the busiest commuter railroad in the United States.[7]
The LIRR is one of the few railroads that have survived as intact companies from their original charters to the present.[7]
The East Side Access project built a LIRR spur to Grand Central Terminal that will run in part via the lower level of the existing63rd Street Tunnel.[19] The East Side Access project added a new eight-track terminal calledGrand Central Madison underneath the existing Grand Central Terminal.[19] The project was first proposed in the 1968Program for Action, but due to various funding shortfalls, construction did not start until 2007.[20] As of April 2018[update], the project was expected to cost $11.1 billion and was tentatively scheduled to start service in December 2022.[21][22] It opened on January 25, 2023, with limited shuttle service between Jamaica and Grand Central.[23] Full service to Grand Central began on February 27, 2023.[24]
Several "readiness projects" were also completed to increase peak-hour capacity across the LIRR system in preparation for expanded peak-hour service after the completion of East Side Access.[25][26][27] The LIRR constructed a new platform forAtlantic Terminal-bound trains atJamaica station,[28] converting mostAtlantic Branch service between these two stations into a high-frequency shuttle.[29] The LIRR also installed a new storage track east ofMassapequa and extended one east ofGreat Neck station,[27][30] in addition to expanding the train yard atRonkonkoma.[27][31][32] An expansion of the yard atPort Washington was also proposed, but as of September 2022[update], the MTA has not come to an agreement with theTown of North Hempstead,[33]: 65 resulting in the project being postponed indefinitely.[34][35]: 61
There are also plans to builda new station in the Queens neighborhood ofSunnyside, in between the New York terminals and theWoodside station, serving as a rail hub for all LIRR branches and potentially some Amtrak, Metro North (New Haven Line) and New Jersey Transit trains, as well.[36] The Sunnyside station is to be built after the completion of East Side Access, due to current capacity constraints.[36]
One of Grand Central Madison's lower-level platforms under construction in January 2019
The new pocket track in Massapequa, located in between the two outer tracks, as viewed from a passing Babylon Branch train
Construction on Jamaica's new platform in August 2019
The Ronkonkoma Branch's completed second track at the Wyandanch station
In 2012, the LIRR started adding a second track along the formerly single-tracked section of the Main Line betweenFarmingdale andRonkonkoma stations to increase track capacity and allow for enhanced service options.[37] The project was completed in September 2018.[38][39]
As part of the preparations for East Side Access's opening,[40] the LIRR also widened the two-track sections of the Main Line betweenFloral Park andHicksville stations to three tracks, in addition to eliminating each of the grade crossings and rebuilding all of the stations along this stretch of the Main Line.[41][42] Work on the third-track project started in September 2018.[43][44] The project was completed in 2022, in time for the opening of East Side Access.[45][46]
The larger Belmont Park Redevelopment Project called for a newElmont station between theQueens Village andBellerose stations on the Main Line, to better serve the newUBS Arena in the Nassau County neighborhood ofElmont.[47] It was the first new station built by the LIRR in nearly 50 years; the last new station added was the formerSouthampton College station on the Montauk Branch, which opened in 1976 and closed in 1998, due to low ridership and the high cost of installinghigh-level platforms for the then-new C3 railcars.[48] Elmont's eastbound platform officially opened in November 2021,[49] while the westbound platform opened in October 2022.[50]
The former LIRR ticket counter atPenn Station, which displayed all locations accessible therefromTheLong Island City station and yardLong Island Railroad Bombardier-M7 number 7625 with an inbound train arriving at Jamaica station
The LIRR operates out of four western terminals in New York City. These terminals are:
Grand Central Madison is located underGrand Central Terminal and was built as part of theEast Side Access project.[51] Service to the new terminal began on January 25, 2023.[52] Provision was made for this route on the lower level of the63rd Street Tunnel under theEast River, which carries the New York City Subway'sIND 63rd Street Line (F and <F> trains) on its upper level. The East Side Access project is expected to reduce congestion while increasing the number of trains during peak hours.[53][54] It serves as the primary terminal for the Hempstead Branch and serves all other electrified branches (as the LIRR's diesel fleet has aloading gauge too large for the 63rd Street Tunnel).[55]
Atlantic Terminal, formerly known as Flatbush Avenue, inDowntown Brooklyn serves theWest Hempstead Branch, with limited service on other branches during the weekday peak. Other trains run as shuttles to Jamaica.[9] It is next to the New York City Subway'sAtlantic Avenue–Barclays Center station complex (2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q, R and W trains), providing easy access toLower Manhattan. With the opening of East Side Access, service between Atlantic Terminal and Jamaica is served mostly by shuttles.
Montauk Branch, running along the southern edge of the island, between Long Island City andMontauk, via Jamaica.[58]
Atlantic Branch, running mostly in New York City to the south of both the Main Line and Montauk Branch, between Atlantic Terminal andValley Stream, via Jamaica.[58][59]
There are eight minor branches.[58] 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 theBabylon Branch service in the electrified portion of the line between Jamaica and Babylon, while the diesel service beyond Babylon to Montauk is referred to as Montauk Branch service. All branches except thePort Washington Branch pass throughJamaica; the trackage west of Jamaica (except thePort Washington Branch) is known as theCity Terminal Zone. The City Terminal Zone includes portions of the Main Line, Atlantic, and Montauk Branches, as well as theAmtrak-ownedEast River Tunnels to Penn Station.[60]
A map of diesel territory on the Long Island Rail Road
The Main Line runs fromLong Island City east toGreenport. It is electrified west of theRonkonkoma station; limited diesel train service runs from this point to theYaphank,Riverhead, or Greenport stations. Trains using the East River Tunnels from Penn Station join the line atSunnyside Yard. The services that run along this line are named after the branches they use; trains beyond Hicksville, where the Port Jefferson Branch diverges, are known asRonkonkoma Branch and Greenport Branch trains.
The Montauk Branch runs from Long Island City east to theMontauk station, with junctions with the Main Line at Long Island City andJamaica. It is electrified from Jamaica east toBabylon. Trains operating east of Babylon are listed as Montauk Branch service and are hauled by diesel locomotives, while trains using the line from Jamaica to Babylon are labeled asBabylon Branch trains. The portion of the line between Long Island City and Jamaica, known as the Lower Montauk Branch, no longer carries passenger trains and is used only for freight service.
The electrifiedWest Hempstead Branch splits from the Montauk Branch east of the Valley Stream station and runs northeast toWest Hempstead, originally continuing to junctions with the Hempstead Branch and the Oyster Bay Branch at the Main Line.
TheOyster Bay Branch splits from the Main Line east ofMineola and heads north and east toOyster Bay. The first section toEast Williston is electrified;[63] only diesel trains run along the majority of the line to Oyster Bay.[64]
The diesel-onlyCentral Branch runs southeast from the Main Line east ofBethpage to the Montauk Branch west of the Babylon station, giving an alternate route to the Montauk Branch east of Babylon. The Central Branch used to continue west from Bethpage to include what is now the Garden City–Mitchel Field Secondary. It was proposed to be electrified as part of the 2020–2024 MTA Capital Program.[65]
The electrifiedLong Beach Branch begins where the Atlantic Branch ends east of the Valley Stream station (running parallel to the Montauk Branch until just afterLynbrook) where it turns south to end atLong Beach.
The railroad has dropped a number of branches due to lack of ridership over the years. Part of theRockaway Beach Branch became part of theIND Rockaway Line of theNew York City Subway, while others were downgraded to freight branches, and the restabandoned entirely. Additionally, the Long Island Rail Road operated trains over portions of theBrooklyn Rapid Transit (BRT) elevated and subway lines until 1917.[66]
TheBushwick Branch, also called the Bushwick Lead Track, is a freight railroad branch that runs from Bushwick, Brooklyn, to Fresh Pond Junction in Queens, where it connects with the Montauk Branch.
The Camp Upton Branch was a short branch north from the Main Line toCamp Upton.[68]
TheCentral Extension ran from Garden City eastward to Central Park (¾ mile south of current Bethpage station) and as far east as Bethpage Junction. The line was cut back to the point where it stopped at Island Trees. Today the western part of track still in use for freight and storage, and is officially known today as theGarden City Secondary.
The Chestnut Street Incline (Brooklyn) between Atlantic Avenue and Fulton Street was opened in 1898 to allow for thru-operation over the Jamaica/Broadway Elevated Line to the East River ferry terminal. In 1909 thru passenger service to Manhattan via theWilliamsburg Bridge was established in coordination with theBrooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT). LIRR Passenger service operated to Chambers Street between May 1909 and September 1917.
TheManorville Branch or Manor Branch ran from the Main Line atManorville southeast to the Montauk Branch atEastport. It was originally part of the Sag Harbor Branch (See below).
TheMontauk Cut-off was a short connecting track between the Lower Montauk Branch and the Main Line in Long Island City that allowed trains to change direction without entering theLong Island City station.[70]
TheRoosevelt Field Spur branched off northward from the currentGarden City Secondary just north of Commercial Avenue. From there, it crossed Stewart Avenue just west of present-day South Street before turning slightly northeast, crossing over the Meadowbrook Parkway. The overpass, as well as sections along the sidewalk on South Street, can still be seen today. From there, it continued north before curving east and coming to an end near Zeckendorf Boulevard. The line was used for freight only.
TheWhite Line, which was built by the LIRR subsidiaryNewtown and Flushing Railroad ran south of the Port Washington Branch betweenWinfield Junction andFlushing between 1873 and 1876.[75]
TheWoodside Branch ran north of the current Port Washington Branch betweenWoodside and east of the presentCorona Yard west of theFlushing River. It also had a connecting spur to the Whitestone Branch.
In addition to its daily commuter patronage, the LIRR also offers the following services:
The railroad operates extra trains during the summer season that cater to the Long Island beach trade. Special package ticket deals are offered to places likeLong Beach,Jones Beach,the Hamptons,Montauk, andGreenport. Some of these packages require bus and ferry connections.
From May through October, the railroad runs four daily trains toBelmont Park (two in each direction) during the racetrack's summer meets. Additionally, on the day of theBelmont Stakes horse race the railroad runs extra trains to accommodate the large number of spectators attending the event.[77]
One special non-passenger service offered by the railroad was the yearly operation of theRingling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus train between Long Island City andNassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale. Highly publicized by the LIRR, this event drew large crowds of spectators.[78] With Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey's closure, this was discontinued in May 2017.
The Mineola Intermodal Center, prior to the Main Line's third track being built
Penn Station offers connections withAmtrak intercity trains andNJ Transit commuter trains, as well as thePATH,New York City Subway, andNew York City Bus systems.[79] 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 the New York City Bus system, and several stations also have transfers to New York City Subway stations.[80] Transfers toNassau Inter-County Express andSuffolk County Transit buses are available at many stations in Nassau and Suffolk counties, respectively.[81][82]
LikeMetro-North Railroad and NJ Transit, the Long Island Rail Road fare system is based on the distance a passenger travels, as opposed to 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, theCity 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.[83]
Zone 3 includes Jamaica as well as all other stations in eastern Queens except Far Rockaway.[84] Zones 4 and 7 include all stations in Nassau County, plus Far Rockaway and Belmont Park in Queens.[84] Zones 9, 10, 12 and 14 include all stations in Suffolk County.[84] Each zone contains many stations, and the same fare applies for travel between any station in the origin zone and any station in the destination zone.[84]
LIRR ticket vending machines at the Bethpage station
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.[85] Any passenger holding an off-peak ticket on a peak train is required to pay a step up fee.[86] Passengers can buy tickets from ticket agents or ticket vending machines (TVMs) or on the train from conductors, but will incur an on-board penalty fee for doing so.[86] 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.[86]
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 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.[87]
Commuters can also buy a peak or off-peak ten trip ride, a weekly unlimited or an unlimited monthly pass.[88] Monthly passes are good on any train regardless of the time of day, within the fare zones specified on the pass.[88]
The LIRR charged off-peak fares at all times during theCOVID-19 pandemic.[89] Peak fares were reinstated on March 1, 2022, and several new discounts and ticket options were introduced at the same time.[90]
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 the Hamptons and Montauk on theCannonball can reserve a seat in the all-reserved Parlor Cars.[91]
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.[92] With the opening ofElmont station in November 2021, Belmont Park and Elmont were placed into fare zone 4.[93]
In 2003, 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.[94] The special reduced-fare CityTicket, proposed by the New York City Transit Riders Council,[94] was formally introduced in 2004.[95] The discounted fares were initially only available for travel on Saturdays and Sundays.[96] In March 2022, it was expanded to include all off-peak trains throughout the week for $5.[97] The MTA announced plans in December 2022 to allow CityTickets to be used on peak trains as well;[98][99] governorKathy Hochul confirmed these plans the next month.[100] The peak CityTickets, as announced in July 2023, would cost $7 each.[101] 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.[102][103]
CityTicket is valid for travel within Zones 1 and 3 on the Long Island Rail Road. CityTickets can only be bought before boarding – except atMets–Willets Point, where they can be purchased on board; they must be used on the day of purchase.[92]
CityTicket is not valid for travel to theElmont station (located in Nassau County, just east of the Queens-Nassau border) – or theFar Rockaway or special event-onlyBelmont Park station (located in Queens, just west of the Queens-Nassau border) – and are all within Zone 4.[92]
Long Island Rail Road stations where CityTickets are valid
In late 2017, the MTA was slated to launch a pilot that will allow LIRR, bus and subway service to use one ticket.[104] The proposal for the ticket, called the "Freedom Ticket," was initially put forth by the New York City Transit Riders Council (NYCTRC) in 2007.[105]: 1 The NYCTRC wrote aproof of concept report in 2015.[106] 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.[105]
Riders who take thedollar 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 the LIRR paid $10 to get to Manhattan in 35 minutes.[105]: iii 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.[105]: 1–2 At the time, monthly CityTickets cost $330 per month.[106]
The Freedom Ticket will initially be available for sale at theAtlantic Terminal,Nostrand Avenue, andEast New York stations in Brooklyn and at theLaurelton,Locust Manor,Rosedale, andSt. Albans stations in Queens.[104][107][108] 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 theMetroCard, but it will be lower than the combined price of an LIRR ticket and a MetroCard, and it will allow unlimited free transfers between the LIRR, buses, and subway.[108]
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.[104] 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),[107] while at the same time providing affordable service to people with long commutes.[108] The details were to be announced in spring 2017, and the pilot would last six months.[104]
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.[109] The success of 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.[110]
In May 2023, the MTA announced that, as part of wider fare changes and in response to requests fromFar Rockaway residents, a discounted ticket option – the Far Rockaway Ticket – would be introduced for travelers traveling on theFar Rockaway Branch between Far Rockaway and other stations within New York City (excluding Belmont Park). This new ticket would provide the same discounts as a regular CityTicket, while also having protections against fare evasion, giventhe unique nature of the Far Rockaway Branch's route.[111][112][113] Tickets can only be purchased at the Far Rockaway station or on the MTA's TrainTime app in the station's vicinity; geolocation restrictions on the TrainTime app only allow purchase of discounted tickets within the vicinity of the Far Rockaway station.[112][113]
The Far Rockaway Ticket became available for purchase on August 20, 2023.[113]
In 2017, it was announced that theMetroCard fare payment system, used on New York City-area rapid transit and bus systems, would be phased out and replaced byOMNY, acontactless fare payment system. Fare payment would be made usingApple Pay,Google Pay, debit/credit cards withnear-field communication enabled, or radio-frequency identification cards.[114][115] 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.[116]
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 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.[117][118]
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 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.[122]
As of 2016[update], the LIRR has 8 active control towers. All movements on 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 byPenn Station Control Center or PSCC, run jointly by the LIRR and Amtrak. The PSCC controls as far east asHarold Interlocking, inSunnyside, Queens. The PSCC replaced several towers.[123]
The Jamaica Control Center, operational since 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.[124]
Today's LIRR signal system has evolved from its legacyPennsylvania Railroad (PRR)-based system, and the railroad utilizes a variety of waysiderailroad signals including position light, color light and dwarf signals.[125] In addition, much of the LIRR is equipped with a bi-directionalPulse code cab signaling calledautomatic 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 the 20th century, the LIRR did not begin using signals with color lights on its above ground sections until 2006.[citation needed]
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/writtentrain orders, although these areas are gradually receiving modern signals.[126] Many other signals and switching systems on 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.[127]
A Long Island Rail Road M9, showing the railcar's dual-type contact shoe
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 inthe Bronx on the Metro-North Railroad, railroads with similar cab signal systems to Metro-North, such as 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.[128]
The LIRR's electric fleet consists of 836M7, 170M3, and several hundredM9electric 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 the LIRR would procure newM9 railcars fromKawasaki.[130] A 2014 MTA forecast indicated that the LIRR would need 416 M9 railcars; 180 to replace the outdatedM3 railcars and an additional 236 railcars for the additional passengers expected once the East Side Access project is complete.[131] The first M9s entered revenue service on September 11, 2019.[132]
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 the railroad expanded its east end parlor car service with luxury coaches and Pullman cars from railroads that were discontinuing their passenger trains.
Cannonball – a Friday-only 12-car train to Montauk running May through October, with two all-reserved parlor cars with full bar service. Since May 24, 2013, it has originated at Penn Station with a Sunday evening return from Montauk; only the westward train stops at Jamaica.[134] The name is a nod to theCannon Ball, the all-year train to Montauk that had operated since 1899. It carried parlor cars and standard-fare coaches and ran weekday afternoons from Long Island City, then from Penn Station until 1951, whenDD1 operation – and changing engines at Jamaica – ceased.[135]
Fisherman's Special (1932–1950s) – operated from Long Island City to Canoe Place Station and Montauk via Jamaica, April through October, terminating at Canoe Place in April, extended to Montauk in May. Served Long Island's fishing trade.[136]
Peconic Bay Express / Shinnecock Bay Express (1926–1950) – operated from Long Island City to Greenport and Montauk; Saturday only, express to Greenport and Montauk. Discontinued during World War II though revived for a few seasons afterwards.[135]
Shelter Island Express (1901–1903; 1923–1942) – operated from Long Island City to Greenport; Friday-only summer express that connected to Shelter Island ferries.
Sunrise Special (1922–1942) – ran during the summer, from NY Penn to Montauk on Fridays and thence westbound on Mondays. In summer 1926, it ran daily. All parlor car (no coaches) from 1932 to 1937.[119][120][137][138][139]
Grand Central Direct (2023) – operated as a temporary shuttle service between Jamaica and Grand Central Madison, providing service to and from the new terminal.[140] Operations began on January 25, 2023 – the terminal's opening date – and ceased upon the commencement of regular service the following month.[140]
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.[citation needed] In the 21st century, there has been some appreciation of the need for betterrailroad freight service in New York City and on Long Island.[141] 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.[142]
Proposals for aCross-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.[141][143] Financial issues, as well as bureaucracy, remain major hurdles in constructing it.[143]In May 1997, freight service was franchised on a 20-year term to theNew York and Atlantic Railway (NYAR), a short line railroad owned by theAnacostia and Pacific Company.[144]
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 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 atFresh Pond Junction in Queens with theCSX,Canadian Pacific Kansas City, andProvidence and Worcester railroads.[145]
Some non-electrified lines are used only for freight:
TheGarden City–Mitchel Field Secondary is a short remnant of the Central Branch that splits from the Hempstead Branch at Garden City, running toUniondale nearHofstra University and Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. This branch does not host any NYAR service. This branch was used by the Ringling Bros. Circus to transport animals, staff and equipment to the Nassau Coliseum until their final shows there in May 2017.[78]
A diesel train running along the Central Branch in 2012
As part of the 2020–2024 MTA Capital Program, the MTA proposed electrifying the LIRR'sCentral Branch, which would for enhanced service options and capacity, and to mitigate service disruptions, should one arise. Although funding was initially allocated through the 2020–2024 MTA Capital Program, the project was ultimately put on hold.[65]
There have also been many pushes by residents and politicians over the past several decades – most recently by former New York State SenatorJim Gaughran – to electrify the remainder of the Port Jefferson Branch between theHuntington andPort Jefferson stations, in addition to the remainder of the Oyster Bay Branch between theEast Williston andOyster Bay, to enhance service in the served areas and to upgrade service capacities along the lines; electrifying these lines could lead to more frequent direct service to and from Manhattan, as diesel trains are not allowed in Penn Station and dual-mode trains exceed the height clearance for the63rd Street Tunnel intoGrand Central Madison.[149][150][151]
The LIRR has a long history of tense relations with its passengers.[153] Daily commuters have long had complaints about the LIRR's service. According to a 1999 article inThe New York Times, the LIRR's service woes were long considered part of the "unholy trinity of life on Long Island," along with theLong Island Lighting Company's high rates and theLong Island Expressway's traffic snarls.[154] Various commuter advocacy groups have been formed to try to represent those interests, in addition to the state mandated LIRR Commuters Council.[155]
The LIRR has been criticized for not providing additional service to theEast End of Long Island as the twin forks continue to grow in popularity as a year-round tourist and residential destination. Demand is evidenced by flourishing for-profit bus services such as theHampton Jitney and theHampton Luxury Liner and the early formative stages of a new East End Transportation Authority.[156] Local politicians have joined the public outcry for the LIRR to either improve the frequency of east end services, or turn the operation over to a local transportation authority.
Critics claim that theon-time performance (OTP) calculated by the LIRR is manipulated to be artificially high. Because the LIRR does not release any raw timing data nor does it have independent (non-MTA) audits it is impossible to verify this claim, or the accuracy of the current On Time Performance measurement. The percentage measure is used by many other US passenger railroads but the criticism over accuracy is specific to the LIRR. As defined by the LIRR, a train is "on time" if it arrives at a station within 5 minutes and 59 seconds of the scheduled time.[157] The criterion was 4 minutes and 59 seconds until the LIRR changed it because of a bug in their computer systems.[158]
Critics[159] believe the OTP measure does not reflect what commuters experience on a daily basis. The LIRR publishes the current OTP in a monthly booklet called TrainTalk.[160] TrainTalk was previously known as "Keeping Track."[161] A more accurate way to measure delays and OTP has been proposed.[162] Called the "Passenger Hours Delayed" index, it can measure the total person-hours of a specific delay. This would be useful in comparing the performance of specific days or incidents, day-to-day (or week-to-week) periods, but has not been adopted.
Ridership has increased from 81 million passengers in 2011 to 89.3 million passengers in 2016, which is the railroad's highest ridership since 1949. The all-time highest ridership was in 1929, when 119 million passengers rode 1.89 billion passenger miles.[163] This increase in ridership has been attributed to the increased usage of the LIRR by millennials, and the increase of reverse-peak travel.[164]
ANew York Times investigation in 2008 showed that 25% of LIRR employees who had retired since 2000 filed for disability payments from the federal Railroad Retirement Board and 97% of them were approved to receive disability pension. The total collected was more than $250,000,000 over eight years.[165] As a result, Railroad Retirement agents from Chicago inspected theLong Island office of theRailroad Retirement Board on September 23, 2008. New YorkGovernorDavid Paterson issued a statement calling forCongress to conduct a full review of the board's mission and daily activities. Officials at the board's headquarters responded to the investigation stating that all occupational disability annuities were issued in accordance with applicable laws.[165]
On November 17, 2008, a former LIRR pension manager was arrested and charged with official misconduct for performing outside work without permission. However, these charges were all dismissed for "no merit" by Supreme Court Judge Kase on December 11, 2009, on the grounds that the prosecution had misled the grand jury in the indictment.[166]
A report produced in September 2009 by theGovernment Accountability Office stated that the rate at which retirees were rewarded disability claims was above the norm for the industry in general and indicated "troubling" practices that may indicate fraud, such as the use of a very small group of physicians in making diagnoses.[167]
Another series of arrests on October 27, 2011, included two doctors and a former union official.[168][169]
According to court documents, from 1998 through 2011, 79% of LIRR retirees obtained federal disability when they retired. On August 6, 2013, a doctor and two consultants were found guilty in connection with the accusations and sentenced to prison.[170][171][172]
In 2018, LIRR foreman Raymond Murphy was discovered at or near his home on 10 separate occasions whilst claiming overtime pay. Murphy earned $405,021 in 2017, of which $295,490 was overtime. According to reports, he was allowed to retire with a full public pension before being reprimanded or punished.[173]
In 2021, LIRR employee and track inspector Thomas Caputo and co-conspirators John Nugent and Joseph Balestra were federally convicted for large-scale overtime fraud.[174] Caputo was paid approximately $461,000 in 2018, of which $344,000 was supposed overtime. He claimed to have worked 3,864 overtime hours, an average of more than 10 hours of overtime for all 365 days the year. Phone, bank, email, and other records revealed many of these hours were fraudulent: Caputo was clocked in during vacation and while attending outside social events such as a bowling league.
On August 26, 1893, two trains collided inMaspeth, Queens, killing 16 people and injuring over 40.[175]
On August 13, 1926, the Shelter Island Express derailed on a switch inCalverton,Suffolk County, and crashed into the Golden Pickle Works factory. The crash claimed six lives and injured 15.[176]
OnFebruary 17, 1950, two trains collided head-on after an engineer on train 192 ignored an approach signal and the following red signals atRockville Centre station, leaving 32 dead and more than 100 injured. At the time, it was the worst rail disaster in LIRR history.[178]
OnNovember 22, 1950, two trains collided after one of the trains passed a red signal in Kew Gardens, killing 78 and injuring 363 – the LIRR's worst rail disaster to ever occur.[179]
On March 14, 1982, a train hit a van at a level crossing onHerricks Road in Mineola after the driver of the van went around the gate. Nine people were killed and one was injured.[180]
On October 23, 2000, the lead locomotive (DM30AC #503) of a dual-mode commuter train caught fire west ofHuntington station.[182][183] The fire was blamed on a defective shoe beam that caused a 750-voltshort circuit with the locomotive's third rail contact shoe.[184][185] The train was evacuated and nobody was injured, though locomotive #503 was irreparably damaged. This incident was the most severe out of several electrical fires involving the then-new DM30AC locomotives, which prompted a full-scale investigation into their reliability and safety.[184][185] The entire fleet—two locomotives at a time—would be sent toGeneral Motors for repairs beginning in fall 2001.[186]
On May 17, 2011, a commuter train in Deer Park obliterated a baked goods truck that attempted to drive around the crossing gate. The truck driver was killed and two train passengers were injured.[187]
On October 8, 2016, a commuter LIRR train side-swiped a maintenance train east ofNew Hyde Park station. The commuter train cars suffered damage and 33 passengers were injured – four of them seriously.[188]
On February 26, 2019, two separate Long Island Rail Road trains hit a pickup truck at the School Street railroad crossing in Westbury on the LIRR Main Line, causing the driver and two passengers to be ejected from the vehicle resulting in their deaths, numerous injuries, and damage to the nearby LIRR station platform.[190]
On May 25, 2019, a commuter train sideswiped anon-revenue train at the siding east ofSpeonk station and derailed. The non-revenue train was 14 cars long, whereas the siding could only fit 13 cars.[191] Nobody was injured, though it took two days to restore normal service,[192] and the derailed train's front locomotive (DM30AC #511) was damaged beyond repair. The incident was blamed on a track circuit failure;[191] an MTA worker, who resigned following the accident, was later charged and indicted for falsifying an inspection report of the would-be point of failure.[193][194]
On August 3, 2023, a Long Island Rail Road commuter train derailed east of Jamaica station; 13 people were injured.[195]
On April 17, 2025, a Long Island Rail Road commuter train collided with a vehicle west of Pinelawn station. The driver of the car was killed and the first car of the train was damaged.[196]
^Brennan, Jim."LIRR's Heavy Subsidies and the Coming Debate Over MTA Funding"Archived July 22, 2023, at theWayback Machine, Gotham Gazette, January 10, 2019. Accessed March 9, 2022. "The data show the LIRR farebox will contribute 43.4% of the LIRR's operating costs in 2019 and declines to about 38% by 2022.... This analysis shows that the Long Island Rail Road's deficit is $1.345 billion a year and is more than 18% of the MTA's total deficit, although its fare and other operating revenue provide about 12% of the MTA's total revenue."
^American Railway Association, (Division V - Mechanical) (1922). Wright, Roy V.; Winter, Charles (eds.).Locomotive Cyclopedia of American Practice (6th ed.). New York: Simmons-Boardman Publishing. p. 903.OCLC6201422.
^"Mid-Suffolk Yard Schedule".mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority.Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. RetrievedNovember 2, 2015.
^Seyfried, Vincent F. (1975)."Part Six The Golden Age 1881–1900".The Long Island Rail Road: A Comprehensive History. Long Island: Vincent F. Seyfried. Archived fromthe original on April 19, 2015.
^Tom Demoretcky; Bill Mason (October 24, 2000)."LIRR Fire Delays Port Jeff Branch".Newsday. p. 28.Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. RetrievedAugust 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
^Sidney S. Schaer (October 25, 2000)."Fire Fears for LIRR Engines".Newsday. p. 26.Archived from the original on August 4, 2023. RetrievedAugust 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
Railroads initalics meet the revenue specifications for Class I status, but are not technically Class I railroads due to being passenger-only railroads with no freight component.
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