Questions about the LIRR

Factual Questions
1

New Yorkers and anyone else who knows about the LIRR - tell me about it. I’ve been doing some research, but I still have a few questions.

I plan to go from Penn Station to Mineola on the train, and then back to Penn Station, on Monday May 19. I found this handy website that had train fares and schedules listed, and also an option to buy tickets online. Which leads me to my first question: Is it a good idea to buy LIRR tickets in advance, or can you just show up at a station and buy tickets for the same day? I’d prefer the latter.

I found this picture of the LIRR train routes. As shown on the map, there’s some sort of transfer station called Jamaica. Apparently, some Mineola trains (from Penn Station) need to transfer at Jamaica, and some don’t. Is this correct? (This is my impression. I forget where I got this information.)

I tried to research the limits to the amount/size/weight of stuff you can bring on the LIRR trains. On this web page,** it doesn’t have luggage limits, but it says just to bring whatever you can carry. Is this correct?** I don’t plan to bring big bulky suitcases on board or anything, just 1 or 2 things I can carry myself.

Lastly, how do you pronounce LIRR? I thought it was ell-eye-arr-arr, but I was watching a NYC news program last weekend and they pronounced it ell-eye-double-arr.

Thanks in advance.

2

Either is perfectly fine. No one will accost you for saying either.

You’ll be fine.

Find the time you’ll be traveling here, to see if you need to transfer:

Buy tickets when you get to Penn, no problem.

3

While it’s been a very, very long time since I used the LIRR I think you should have no trouble just buying tickets the same day–just don’t wait until the last minute.

The key thing to do is not travel during rush hour (which actually is a fairly long period of time). If you travel at non-rush-hour times you shouldn’t have any trouble carrying one or two things.

4

There’s no need to buy tickets in advance. The handy ticket machines at Penn will dispense them for you.

Jamaica is basically a hub station where all the lines meet. Every train out of Penn (except for Port Washington) stops at Jamaica. Once there you’ll want to make sure you’re on a Port Jefferson- or Montauk-bound train as those go through Mineola. Your conductor will tell you if you need to change at Jamaica.

You can bring anything you can lug. There are overhead luggage racks.

The correct pronunciation is, of course, “lrrrrrrrr.”

5

The difference between internet and station price is small, but buying on the trail could add a extra $5 or so IIRC but that’s about it. You never have to specify a trail and having a off peak ticket is valid as credit for peak travel as well as extended beyond your ticket with a max of 24 cents extra added.

Reilly don’t fret about it it is easy, go with the flow, and if you can get on board the most you will pay is $5 over retail.

6

Thanks for all the responses so far. Very helpful. :slight_smile:

Anything else I should know about the LIRR?

7

I used to ride it (my home town was one stop before the end of the main line), so I know some trivia.

The reason why it was built was to get government contracts to take mail from NYC to Boston. (It was believed that you couldn’t put a track through the wooded area in Connecticut.) The train would go out to Greenport, and then go by boat to New London, where another train was waiting. In order to build it quickly, the avoided going through any population centers and went where the land was cheaper. However, by the time it was finished, a track did go through Connecticut to Boston, so it didn’t get the contract. Worse, all the stations were located where nobody lived. The railroad struggled along until after WWII when the suburbs sprang up.

Oh, and the change at Jamaica was because only electric powered trains were allowed in NYC. The LIRR used diesel to Jamaica, but all passengers had to change over. Nowadays, they have hybrid engines – diesel and electric – that can go the entire route, but the stop is still built in.

8

It’s America’s oldest continuously operating railroad!

ok, how about something useful :slight_smile:

LIRR ticketing occupies the “middle deck” of the dastardly triple layer rabbit warren that is Penn Station: Track level, mezzanine level, Subway track level, street level.

To transfer from Amtrak to LIRR, you have to go up to mezzanine level (which is LIRR tciketing and also Amtrak ticketing level and NJ Transit ticketing level and subway level and shop conscourse level). LIRR has an area near the 7th Avenue side. If you’re at the #2 subway, you’ve gone too far. If you’re at the A/C/E subway, you’re at the wrong end.

In the LIRR area there’s a big line of ticket windows and a bunch of machines that issue tickets. To use the machine, you tell it where you want to go, and it figures the fare and you pay with cash or credit card. The ticket is a credit-card sized slip with your origin destination printed on it. Same thing happens when you talk to a person, actually. :slight_smile: You don’t buy a ticket for a particular train - the ticket is good for any ride between the two points printed on the ticket.

If you are traveling at peak times (6-10am, 4-8pm), you need a Peak ticket. If you accidentally buy an off-peak ticket when you needed a peak, no sweat, you can pay the step-up fare on the train directly to the conductor (its old-timey like that) but only in cash, so have cash if this happens. (pro tip: if you have ANY valid ticket you do not have to pay the on-board penalty just the step-up to the correct pre-purchased fare)

Above the ticket windows is the destinations board where every station in the system is listed alphabetically. Next to each station name is the time the next two trains which stop at that station are leaving. So take note of the train departure time(s) that applies to your destination station. Let’s say you’re going to Forest Hills, on the board the next train is 10:41.

Now turn to your right and see the Train Information Board. There’s a big crowd of people staring at the board so you can’t miss it. Match the time you want to depart to a train line that’s posted as departing at that exact time So you’ll see the 10:32 Port Washington and the 10:41 Babylon. You want that babylon train, the one that leaves at 10:41. Roughly 10 minutes before the train is to leave, the track number is posted. So on the right side of the board the 10:41 Babylon will say “15.” Go to that track, and the train should be there or be about to arrive. they sell booze on the platform from little kiosks. Bizarre! Anyway, get on that train. Sit wherever. Stow your luggage. Do not place luggage on the seats!

After the train leaves the conductor will come around collecting tickets. He or she will punch your ticket (cool fact: every conductor has a unique punch) and may put a slip in your seat saying where you’re getting off in inscrutable code. Conductors will also answer any questions you have. if you’re going past Jamaica (the last stop in City limits) it never hurts to ask if you have to change trains in Jamaica. If there’s no conductor its fine to ask the person sitting next to you. Most people are happy to help.

After leaving Penn Station, the train comes out of the tunnel in Queens and you get a neat view of the skyline if you’re lucky.

9

The LIRR is an ideal way from Manhattan to connect with the AirTrain to JFK airport (with the transfer being made at Jamaica station). As such it’s expected that some people will be riding the train with suitcases. I did it once last year with a large suitcase and backpack without problems, although it was ridiculously early in the morning (6 am from Penn Station if I recall correctly), so avoiding peak hour.

10

Just wanted to say that the one time I rode the LIRR from Woodside to Mineola we transferred at Jamaica and the engine was a STEAM locomotive. Of course that was about 1956 or 7.:slight_smile:

11

I’ve been trying to figure out their code for two years now. I know they have to check tickets at least once before Jamaica and then once after. In between they mark passengers by using those little slips. Only sometimes they don’t use the slips but still figure out when someone gets on the train.

Maybe someone can answer another question for me? When my Ten Trip (ticket for ten trips) runs out, sometimes the conductor will ask me if I want the ticket back. Do I? Can it be used for something that I’m not aware of once it runs out?

12

I think the numbers in the boxes indicate what zone your stop is in. That’s all I got.

I think its in case you need it for a receipt, like, to get reimbursement for travel expenses or if you deduct work-related travel on your taxes. Although the machines give you a receipt, people probably lose their receipt before they use up the ticket quite often, and the ticket has the price printed on it so I imagine sometimes people want it. Also I wouldn’t be surprised if tourists want them from time to time as souvenirs.

Just a couple guesses.

13

If you need to submit it for expenses. It’s a receipt. Otherwise you don’t.

14

Those seat ‘slips’ of numbered paper is a general method for the conductor to keep track of who has presented a ticket, and although it does vary in usage from conductor to conductor, some coming up with their own system, the basic way it was envisioned to use is the conductor would punch the zone you are getting off at. When the conductor passes a zone he will collect all numbers up to that zone, leaving the slips punched with the zones still ahead. If you don’t have a ‘seat slip’ due to getting on the train or overrunning your zone the conductor will ask for your ticket.

The LIRR due to Jamaica and the high number of transfers there sort of negates this use somewhat, it is used much more effectively in this capacity with Metro North. The procedure usually is punch the ticket on each side of Jamacia, so double ticket check.

15

Thanks for all the new responses, especially Hello Again with your detailed information.

If I go from Penn Station to Mineola, and I stop in Mineola for a while, and then take a train to Montauk, I assume I’ll need a new ticket?

16

If you stop over yes you are suppose to have 2 tickets.

Depending on how you do that you may be able to get away with one, but you would really need to know the system and plan your trains to have your stop over during a transfer that you ‘missed’ at Jamaica. Really not worth the effort.

Also most trains that run to Montalk run along a different route on the ‘south shore’ line (IIRC typically called the Babalyon line, but there are a few train that can connect to Montauk that can run on the main line (passing Mineola).

17

Yes. As kanicbird said, in most cases you’ll have to go back to Jamaica to get a Montauk-bound train.

18

She can ask the conductor for a stop-over at Mineola. The conductor will signed the back of her ticket and she will be able to get off at Mineola and get back on to go to Montauk using the same ticket. It’s good for 24 hours and you can only use it on daily tickets.

I’ve done this several times. EmilyG should be fine as long as she can get back on the Montauk line within the same day after getting off at Mineola.

19

I’m not sure if I’ll actually make it to Montauk. My priority is going to Mineola. I was just kind of wondering if it was possible/convenient to get to Montauk as well. But we’ll see.

Thanks for all the info. :slight_smile:

20

I didn’t know this and don’t think it is official policy but thankfully the conductors seem to have great latitude in what they can do for their customers.

One issue remains, that the Montauk line usually runs along the south shore while Mineola is on the ‘main line’. Yes a few trains ‘disobey’ this but it is really limited.