RAILROAD INFORMATION - INTERCITY AND INTERNATIONAL

General Information: The Long Island Railroad, which transports an average of 296,000 passengers a day, is the busiest railroad in the United States. There are 701 miles of track which comprise the twelve branches that serve Nassau and Suffolk counties, Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan. Service operates twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. However, fewer trains run on the holidays and between midnight and 6:00 AM. Although the trains can become quite crowded during peak hours, the LIRR is still one of the most convenient means of reaching New York City from the Long Island suburbs. The LIRR can be contacted by phone for information. In New York, dial (718) 217-5477. In Nassau County, dial (516) 822-5477 and in Suffolk County, dial (516) 231-5477. There is also a website offering general, ticket and fare information and service advisories at www.mta.nyc.ny.us/lirr/index.html.

Branches: There are eleven branches in the Long Island Railroad system. Each station should have a map of the branches and a map is available on the LIRR website. The Port Washington branch runs through the northern section of Queens and makes stops at Shea Stadium, Flushing-Main St., Bayside and Port Washington. The City Terminal Zone runs from Penn Station to Woodside where it splits off into a line going to Hunterspoint Ave. and Long Island City and into another line going to Jamaica. At Jamaica, the branch turns and runs to western Brooklyn, making stops at East New York and Flatbush Ave. The Far Rockaway Branch splits off from the main line at Jamaica and runs through southwest Queens and part of southern Nassau County. It makes stops at Locust Manor, Laurelton, Cedarhurst and Far Rockaway. The Long Beach Branch diverges from the Babylon Branch at Lynbrook and runs down to Oceanside and Long Beach on the South Shore. The West Hempstead Branch splits off from the Babylon Branch between Valley Stream and Lynbrook and runs up through the middle of Nassau County to West Hempstead. The Babylon Branch runs along the South Shore, making stops at Freeport, Merrick, Bellmore, Massapequa, and Babylon. At Babylon, the Montauk Branch begins. The Montauk Branch runs along the South Shore in Suffolk County, making stops at Patchogue, Bellport, West Hampton, South Hampton, East Hampton and Montauk. The Hempstead Branch begins at Jamaica and runs to Hempstead, making stops at Hollis, Queens Village, Belmont Park, and Floral Park. The Port Jefferson Branch starts at Floral Park. The Port Jefferson Branch runs along the North Shore of Suffolk County, making stops at New Hyde Park, Westbury, Hicksville, Cold Spring Harbor, Huntington, Smithtown, Stony Brook and Port Jefferson. The Oyster Bay Branch splits off from the Port Jefferson Branch at Mineola and makes stops at Albertson, Roslyn, Sea Cliff, Glen Cove and Oyster Bay. The Ronkonkoma Branch begins at Hicksville and runs through the middle of Suffolk County, making stops at Farmingdale, Deer Park, Ronkonkoma, Yaphank, Riverhead, Southhold and Greenport.

Tickets and Fares: Ticket prices are based on fare zones and tickets cost between $15.50 and $5.50 for a oneway trip to or from Penn Station. Information on ticket prices can be found at your local train station or obtained from the LIRR website. Off-peak tickets are discounted by over thirty percent. Daily, weekly and monthly tickets are available. It is wisest to buy tickets either from the ticket booth or a ticket vending machine, as there is an $2.00 surcharge added to the price of tickets purchased on the train. However, if there is no ticket booth, or the vending machine is broken, the surcharge is waived. A piece of advice about the vending machines - bring small bills! The machines can give change for twenty dollar bills, but it will be in coins. For ticket refunds call (718) 558-3488, and for vending machine assistance call (800) 325-5477.

Train Schedules: Train schedules are available either from your local train station or from the LIRR website.

Handicapped Accessible Railroad Stations: There are eighteen desiginated Key Stations within the LIRR system. These key stations feature an platform that is accessible by a ramp or elevator, braille and large type signs in the waiting room, bridge plates, TTY text phones, a visual equivalent to the Public Address system, lower ticket counters and accessible restrooms. There are also many stations along each line that have wheelchair accessible platforms. A complete listing of Key Stations and other accessible stations can be obtained by calling the General Information numbers (New York City (718) 217-5477, Nassau County (516) 822-5477, Suffolk County (631) 231-5477, TDD (718) 558-3022), asking at your local station or on the LIRR website.

Other Important Numbers: The Lost and Found can be reached at (212) 643-5228 from 7:00 AM to 7:30 PM on weekdays. The MTA Police can be reached at (718) 558-3300 or (516) 733-3900. Information on Group Travel and Tours can be found at (718) 558-7498 from Monday to Friday between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM.