Long Island Rail Road Information
The Long Island Rail Road (usually referred to as the LIRR) is a commuter rail system in the city of New York, stretching from the eastern tip of Long Island (Suffolk County) to the Manhattan area. In operation since 1834, it is the oldest and busiest commuter railroad in continental North America. The route is served by eight different branch lines, with the two main lines running to the ends of the two forks on the island of Manhattan. The system covers more than a thousand kilometres of track and has one hundred and twenty-four stations. Publicly owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, it is the only commuter rail system in the country that operates every day of the year, with special services for holidays, weekends and off-peak hours.
Long Island Rail Road Map & Fare Zone
Map of Long Island Rail Road showing different lines and stations. Click on the map to enlarge it or download the Long Island Rail Road map in PDF format.
Long Island Rail Road Timings and Schedule
It is one of the few metro systems in the world to function 24 hours, on all seven days of the week.
Long Island Rail Road Fares, Tickets and Cards
Metro fares vary according to the time of day and day of the week. During peak hours, which are between 06:00-10:00 and 16:00-20:00, separate fares apply. A different set of fares apply during non-peak hours, including holidays.
There are also different types of day tickets available. One-way tickets can be purchased for any of the travel zones. They are valid for a maximum of 60 days. Return tickets are also available. They have the same validity.
Special tickets are available for senior citizens and people with various disabilities. There is also a special fare for children between the ages of 5 and 11. There is a special offer for families travelling together. A maximum of 4 children between the ages of 5 and 11 can be carried with a fare-paying adult for just $1 each.
Travellers can purchase a City Ticket for just $4.25 to travel within the city. This ticket is only available on weekends. Monthly and weekly passes are also available. Monthly tickets go on sale on the 20th of each month. Both tickets are non-transferable.
Long Island Road Lines
Here are eleven passenger branches that make up the Long Island Rail Road network. The Atlantic Branch, the Montauk Branch and the Main Line are the three main lines from which eight others branch off. Many of these eight branches are divided into smaller sections for better advertising and scheduling. All branches, except the Port Washington Branch, run through the Jamaica region. The lines west of Jamaica are referred to as the City Terminal Zone, which includes portions of the Main, Atlantic and Montauk branch lines, as well as the East River tunnels leading to Penn Station, which are owned by Amtrak.
Numerous branch lines along the Long Island Rail Road were abandoned due to low ridership. While some of these lines became part of the New York City Subway (the IND Rockway Line), many others were downgraded to freight service. Those that remained would eventually be fortunate enough to be featured in the pages of American railway history books.