Fares & Ticket Information

FARES

BUYING TICKETS

TICKET TYPES

REFUNDS

BUYING TICKETS

Buy Before Boarding - Save Money on Tickets
The best way to buy tickets is by purchasing them before getting on a train. Purchasing your ticket on board the train is a cash-only transaction and the most expensive option.

WebTicket

WebTicket is a fast and convenient way to order tickets online. Order Ten Trip, Weekly, and Monthly tickets. NYC Transit MetroCard and UniTicket options are available. Major credit cards are accepted. Tickets are delivered by mail in 3 – 5 business days and postage is free.

Mail&Ride

Join Mail&Ride and enjoy the convenience of our monthly ticket-by-mail subscription service. Save 2% when you purchase a joint Monthly Ticket/Monthly Unlimited MetroCard. You can manage your account online, and pay using a number of convenient options. Visit Mail&Ride for details or call 718-217-5477 and ask for “Mail&Ride”. Choose the MetroCard option that works best for you:

  • $0 Option: $0 MetroCard value and LIRR fare. MetroCard value can be added at any NYC Transit station booth.

  • $45 Option: $48.15 MetroCard value and LIRR fare. MetroCard value can be added or transferred to another card at any NYC Transit station booth. MetroCard valid for 6 months.

  • $104 Option: Unlimited Monthly MetroCard and 2% discount on LIRR fare. Expires at the end of the month. MetroCard value cannot be added or transferred to another card. Unlimited Metrocard cannot be used on Express Buses.

Ticket Offices

Ticket offices sell all LIRR ticket types and offer certain values of MetroCard when purchased with LIRR tickets. Ticket offices accept cash, personal checks, major credit cards, bank-issued debit cards, as well as certain Transit Benefit Cards and vouchers. Personal checks are accepted for the purchase of Monthly, Weekly, and Ten Trip tickets, as well as five or more One Way tickets. Ticket office hours are posted at stations and on the online station pages.

Ticket Machines

LIRR has four types of ticket machines:

  • Gray "Tickets" machines are full-service machines, selling most LIRR ticket types, pre-valued MetroCard, and UniTickets. These machines accept cash (up to $50 bills and coin, returning up to $17.75 in coin change) as well as ATM/debit cards, and major credit cards.

  • Red "Daily Tickets" machines sell One-Way and Round-Trip tickets and $20 pre-valued MetroCard only. These machines accept cash (up to $50 bills and coin, returning up to $17.75 in coin change) as well as ATM/debit cards, and MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover credit cards.

  • Blue "Tickets - Credit/Debit/ATM Cards" machines sell most LIRR ticket types, pre-valued MetroCard, and UniTickets. These machines accept card payments only: ATM/debit cards, and MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover credit cards. They do not accept cash.

  • Green, "Tickets - AirTrain" machines sell most LIRR ticket types, and offer $5 AirTrain MetroCards. These machines accept cash (up to $50 bills and coin, returning up to $17.75 in coin change) as well as ATM/debit cards, and major credit cards.

Only one payment type or card is accepted per transaction. To use Transit Benefit cards, the full value of your ticket purchase must be available on the card. Contact your provider about adding post tax dollars to purchase tickets that exceed the pre-tax benefit amount provided on these cards.

On Board Trains

Peak one-way, and off-peak one-way tickets may be purchased on board trains at a cost of $5.75 to $6.50 more than tickets bought before boarding at ticket machines or ticket windows. This higher on-board fare does not apply to customers boarding at stations without a ticket office/ticket machine, senior citizens, people with disabilities or Medicare customers. Cash only; no bills larger than $50. Off-peak tickets will be "stepped up" to the peak fare when presented on peak trains. Step-up fares and extension of ride fares (extra fare charged for traveling beyond the stations listed on the ticket) will be rounded to the next dollar. Round-trip tickets are no longer sold on-board. Please purchase your return trip tickets at ticket windows/machines before boarding.

Transit Benefits

You may save hundreds of dollars a year by having a portion of your pre-tax salary set aside for commutation costs. Ask your Human Resources Department if your company offers a transit benefit program.

TICKET TYPES

Peak Fares are charged during business rush hours, on any weekday train scheduled to arrive in NYC terminals between 6 and 10 AM or depart NYC terminals between 4 and 8 PM.

Off Peak Fares are charged all other times on weekdays, all day on Saturdays and Sundays and holidays as listed below.

Holidays

Off Peak fares are valid and LIRR trains operate on a weekend schedule on the following holidays:
New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Black Friday - Off Peak fares are valid all day even though LIRR trains operate on a weekday schedule on the day after Thanksgiving.

Senior/Disabled & Medicare tickets will be honored all day on the holidays listed above and on Columbus Day, Election Day and Veterans Day.

DAILY TICKET TYPES

One Way

Good for one ride in either direction, and sold for peak or off-peak travel. Off-peak fares are approximately 27.5% less than peak fares. Off-peak fares are available for travel between Zones 1 or 3 and all other zones; peak fares are specially priced for local (Zone 4-14) travel so the off-peak fare is the same. Valid for 14 days including date of sale.

Round Trip

Good for two rides, and sold for peak or off-peak travel. Priced at the combination of one-way fares selected (peak both ways, off-peak both ways, peak/off-peak, senior both ways, etc.). Valid for 14 days including date of sale.

Seniors

Individuals 65 years of age or older save 50% off the peak fare. Valid all times except weekday morning peak (westbound) trains. Customers must have Medicare card, driver's license, birth certificate, or MTA Reduced-Fare MetroCard available to present at time of ticket purchase or use. Sold as an option under "One Way" or "Round Trip" ticket buttons on Ticket Machines. Valid for 14 days including date of sale.

People with Disabilities/Medicare Recipients

.People with Disabilities / Medicare recipients of any age must present a valid Medicare card issued by the Social Security Administration, or an MTA Reduced-Fare MetroCard at time of ticket purchase or use to obtain half-fare price. Applications for MTA Reduced-Fare MetroCard are processed by New York City Transit. Valid all times except weekday morning peak (westbound) trains. Sold as an option under "One Way" or "Round Trip" ticket buttons on Ticket Machines. Valid for 14 days including date of sale.

Child Fare

Children under 5 years old ride free at all times. Children ages 5-11 travel at half the adult fares, or may use Family Fare - see restriction below. These tickets are sold as an option under "One Way" or "Round Trip" ticket buttons on Ticket Machines. Valid for 14 days including date of sale.

Family Fare

Good on off-peak trains, for children ages 5-11 who are traveling with a fare-paying adult guardian (18 years or older). Up to four children can travel with each adult for .75 cents each way when tickets are purchased in advance; on the train this fare is $1.00. Additional children ride for the applicable child fare. Family fare tickets presented on peak trains are subject to a substantial price adjustment. Sold under "One Way" or "Round Trip" ticket buttons on ticket machines when off peak is selected. Valid for 14 days including date of sale.

CityTicket

CityTicket is a special $3.75 fare for travel within New York City on LIRR trains on Saturdays/Sundays. Not valid at Belmont and Far Rockaway. Ticket is only valid on the same day of purchase and cannot be combined with other tickets. Ticket must be purchased at ticket windows or ticket machines located in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens; it cannot be bought on board trains. CityTicket is sold as a One Way or Round Trip ticket, and is available using these ticket type buttons, or the CityTicket button at Ticket Machines when/where valid only. Consider purchasing only one way tickets if you are unsure about your return trip since CityTicket use is limited to date-of-purchase and a $10 processing fee is charge per refund transaction.

MULTIPLE-RIDE TICKET TYPES

If you are going to travel for more than one day, you may save money purchasing one of our multiple-ride tickets. Monthly and weekly tickets are non-transferable. They are for the exclusive use of the person who first presents them, must be signed by the owner, and are subject to confiscation if used by anyone other than the owner.

Monthly

Good for unlimited rides during the calendar month indicated on the ticket. On sale starting the 20th of the month prior to the valid month of travel (for example: on May 20th you can buy June's ticket) at Ticket Offices and Ticket Machines. Sold in advance from WebTicket. Non-transferable.

Weekly

Good for unlimited rides Saturday through Friday; expiration date indicated on the face of the ticket. On sale starting the Wednesday before the Saturday that the ticket becomes valid. Sold in advance from WebTicket. Non-transferable.

Ten Trip

Good for ten one-way rides from/to City Zone 1 only. Valid for 6 months from date of sale. Available from WebTicket. Transferable - can be used by more than one person even when they are traveling together.
The following ten-trip ticket types are available:

  • Ten Trip Peak: Convenience ticket sold at the price of 10 peak one-way fares.

  • Ten Trip Off-Peak: Good on off-peak trains from/to City Zone 1 only. LIRR’s Best Buy for off-peak: save up to 15% off the price of 10 off-peak one-way fares for the same fare zone.

  • Seniors/People with Disabilities/Medicare Ten Trip: Convenience ticket sold at the price of 10 senior/people with disabilities/medicate one-way fares.

Monthly School Tickets

Special Fares are available for students under 21 years of age attending accredited elementary or secondary schools. Discount of up to one-third off the price of a regular Monthly ticket. Complete Application and bring to a ticket office. Applications must be signed by a school official and have the school seal affixed. Non-transferable.

UniTickets

UniTickets are combination bus/rail tickets that offer special discounts for monthly or weekly travel to/from certain LIRR stations on local bus routes. UniTickets are valid on certain New York City Transit buses in Queens, MTA Long Island Bus buses in Nassau County, Huntington Area Rapid Transit (HART) buses, and Long Beach Bus buses. The following discounted bus options are available with the purchase of LIRR Monthly or Weekly tickets:

UniTickets Available

Bus Operator Monthly Weekly
NICE - All Buses $44.50 $11.25
HART - All Buses $28 Not available
Long Beach - All Buses $30 Not available

NYCT - Q5, Q12, Q13, Q15, Q16, Q17, Q20, Q26, Q27, Q28, Q31, Q44, Q48, Q85, (at Rosedale, Bayside & Flushing LIRR Stations only)

 $37 $10.50
MTA Bus - Q19, Q25, Q34, Q50, Q65 and Q66 (at Flushing LIRR Station only.) $37 $10.50

Group Tickets

Special discounted one-day, round-trip group tickets may be purchased for organized groups of 30 or more. Smaller groups of 10 or more may still be able to save. Group leaders should call 718-217-5477 and say "Group Travel" Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4 PM for reservations at least two weeks in advance. Group tickets are sold through this department in advance, and at open ticket offices (please avoid morning rush hours).

Deals & Getaways

Special deals are developed by the LIRR in conjunction with major attractions, venues or special events to offer discounts to LIRR customers. Offers vary throughout the year.

  • New York City Getaways are available throughout the year.
  • Long Island Getaways to Long Island are typically more seasonal (May - November) but some are available year-round; some are escorted and available on certain dates/trains only.
  • Beach Packages are available during Summer months and include: Long Beach, Jones Beach, Robert Moses and various Fire Island locations (one day use only).
  • Belmont Package and service is available for the Belmont Stakes on the first Saturday in June, the Friday before the Stakes, as well as the Breeders Cup when held at Belmont Park (approximately every four years)..
  • Free Rail or discount offers (Broadway Shows, Radio City Christmas Spectacular, etc.) typically require use of a code and have special restrictions; these tickets/discounts are usually available at the venue, and TicketMaster or Telecharge, and are not sold by the LIRR.

Most tickets are available for sale at LIRR Ticket Offices and gray, blue or green "Tickets" Machines (listed under "Deals & Getaways" button on the right, on the first screen). Since each sale may contain more than one ticket stub, please wait for all tickets to be printed. Stubs are labeled for rail or admission use.

MetroCard

MetroCard is a fare medium used for MTA NYC Transit subways and buses, and acceptable on LI Bus. Pre-valued MetroCard is available in the following options:

  • LIRR ticket offices offer both the $4.50 round-trip (2 rides) separately or on round-trip ticket types.
  • All ticket machines offer a separate $20 MetroCard ($21.40).
  • LIRR ticket offices, as well as gray and blue Ticket Machines offer MetroCard options with Round-Trip tickets ($4.50 MetroCard; 2 rides), and Monthly tickets ($45 MetroCard; $48.15 value). Weekly ticket customers can no longer receive value on the their ticket but may select to purchase a separate $20 MetroCard.
  • Mail&Ride offers a Monthly Unlimited MetroCard option for $104 or a $45 MetroCard ($48.15 value).

REFUNDS

Refund Processing Fee

A $10 refund processing fee is charged for each refund transaction, and includes all ticket types.

Validity of Tickets & Refunds Chart

Ticket Type Valid for Refundable for
One Way/Round Trip 14 days including date of sale 30 days
Monthly Calendar Month Current Month (based on turn-in date)
Weekly Saturday to Friday Current Week (based on turn-in date)
Ten Trip 6 months 30 days
CityTicket Date Purchased 30 days
Deals & Getaways Event Date(s) or 14 days including date of sale 30 days (complete package only)

Must Return Original Tickets

The actual original unused or partially used ticket (not a photocopy) must be submitted. Lost, stolen or damaged tickets are not refundable.

All refund requests are handled through our Ticket Refund office, but tickets may be turned in at staffed ticket offices, where customer will be asked to fill out a form. Refunds for tickets submitted by mail will be calculated using the postmark as the turn-in date.

Refund checks will be mailed to customers 4-6 weeks after the Ticket Refund Department receives the request. For credit card sales, refunds will be issued as credits to customer credit card accounts when possible.

Monthly and Weekly Ticket Refunds

If commutation tickets are submitted for refund, the discount is forfeited, and we must deduct the proper combination of one-way and/or weekly fares for the period the ticket has been in the customer's possession. Month and weekly tickets that are not being used should be turned in immediately; the refund will be calculated identically for punched and unpunched tickets. Month and Weekly tickets turned in for refund by 9:30 AM at the customer's home station ticket office will not be charged for the turn-in day.

Refund Example: Customer turns in a Monthly ticket valid from Penn Station to Babylon, at Babylon Station ticket office before 9:30 AM on Tuesday the 8th (in a month that started with a Tuesday). This example would also apply if the customer mailed the ticket in and the postmark date was Tuesday the 8th.

The cheapest tickets that could have been used total $161.75:
Weekly ticket for Tuesday-Friday, Days 1-4 ($95.75)
Off-peak, Round Trip for Saturday-Sunday, Days 5 & 6 ($39)
Peak Round Trip for Monday, Day 7 ($27)

Original price $299 - $161.75 = $137.25 - $10 processing fee = $127.25 refund

MetroCard portions of combined monthly MetroCard and train tickets are refunded subject to a forfeit of discount, and prorating. Refunds of Monthly Unlimited MetroCard are also subject to a $10 processing fee in addition to forfeit of discount and prorating.

Refunds will be made by check or credited back to the debit or credit card used to purchase the ticket.

Ten Trip Ticket Refunds

Unused or partially-used Ten Trip tickets (valid for six months form date of sale) can be refunded for 30 days from date of sale. Since off-peak ten-trip tickets are sold at a discount, refunds will be calculated by deducting the cost of off-peak one-way tickets for each ride used.

Deals & Getaways Refunds

Due to the heavy discounts provided, refunds will only be provided if all ticket stubs are submitted. Refunds are reviewed by the LIRR Sales & Promotions office. Please include a daytime phone number and explanation with your ticket submittal. Refunds are available for up to 30 days and the $10 service fee per transaction is charged.

Mail ticket refund form with original tickets to:

LIRR Ticket Refunds Department
P.O. Box 350383
Jamaica, NY 11435

Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4 PM
Phone: 511 and say LIRR.

Forgotten Tickets

The LIRR is not responsible for forgotten tickets. If you forget your ticket, you should purchase a round-trip ticket at your station or you will have to pay the higher on-board fare price. Fares paid in lieu of forgotten, destroyed or damaged tickets are not refundable.

Should any questions arise as to proper fare and ticket privileges, please pay fare requested, obtain receipt and communicate with us.

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