The greatest advantage of living on Long Island is there are so many exciting places nearby to explore. With adventure out there for the taking, the only thing in the way is deciphering the ins and outs of the public transportation system. Whether you are commuting into the city every day for that killer internship or just going in for a day trip with your girlfriends, here is your guide to the Long Island Rail Road or, in Long Island terms, the LIRR.
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Planning Your Trip
When trying to determine the time of the train you would like to take, visit the MTA LIRR Schedule website and plug in the stations you are leaving from and trying to get to and the date and time that you plan on traveling. The site will then give you a list of options around the time that you’d like to leave, giving you the trip duration and details of any transfers necessary. This site also allows you to directly search for return trips and fares for the trip that you select.
http://lirr42.mta.info/index.php?error=noRoute
If you would like to reach this information while on the go (perhaps on a subway heading back to your station) you can also download the train time app. This app works similarly and will display the next available trips after plugging in where you are trying to get to. The app will let you know if they are on time and what track the train will be on once that information is announced.
Getting to the Train
Hofstra provides shuttle rides from campus to both Hempstead and Mineola station. Convenient as this is, you must pay attention to the times offered on the day of the week you are intending to leave. The times of the trips differ between Hempstead and Mineola and there are separate shuttle schedules for the weekdays and the weekends. Here is a link to the official Hofstra Shuttle Schedule so you will never confuse when the shuttle is leaving.
https://www.hofstra.edu/visitors/visitors_info_shuttle.html
Once You Arrive at your Station
The most important aspect once you arrive is making sure you are on the right track. There will be a board near the tracks with a listing of the trains and what track they will be arriving at and all of the tracks will be labeled. At Mineola station it is pretty simple to figure out with there being only two tracks, with inbound trains almost always on the A track and outbound on the B track. While Penn Station has a much larger number of trains coming in and going out, most of the LIRR tracks are down one corridor making them easy to locate. The track number likely won’t be announced until a few minutes before departure so there will be a large crowd surrounding the board waiting and rushing to the train as soon as it is announced. Be mindful of those around you in the moments before boarding!
Buying Tickets
You have a few different options when it comes to buying tickets. You can buy a physical ticket at a kiosk at the station prior to boarding. You can also wait to buy a physical ticket on the train, although with this choice you typically have to pay more and you must pay with cash. The third option (and my favorite) is buying a ticket on your phone. You can download the MTA app and, once you make an account, you can buy a ticket to and from any station in a matter of seconds. This allows you to buy the tickets way in advance and not have to worry about losing it or buy it right as you see the ticket collector walking down the aisle. Another great benefit of buying tickets on your phone is you can buy tickets in bulk at a discounted price if you travel into the city frequently. You can either purchase a group of ten trips for a 15% discount or a weekly pass.
When buying your ticket, it is so important that you pay attention to the time of your trip. Tickets are priced based upon the busiest times of traveling and are divided between PEAK and OFF PEAK times. Inbound peak hours are between 6 and 10 AM and Outbound peak hours are between 4 and 8 PM on non-holiday weekdays. Make sure you aren’t overpaying for your ticket!
Ticket prices are based on the distance you are traveling. A one-way trip from Mineola to Penn on Off-Peak hours would cost $8.75 (or $7.45 if a part of the ten-trip discount).
On the Train
There will be an announcement of the location of each stop when you arrive and typically an electronic sign that will display the next stop so that you have no need to worry about missing your stop.
Depending on the time that you are riding the train it may be incredibly busy and there won’t necessarily be enough seats and you may end up needing to stand. This is ok, just try your best to stay out of the way.
Make sure you keep your ticket out and ready for the ticket collector for the whole duration of the ride. They may need to check it multiple times and they don’t want to be held up waiting for you to rummage through your purse looking for your ticket.
Yes, there are bathrooms on the trains! Every other car will have a bathroom if you really need to go, but no promises on how cleanly they are…
Additionally, there are (usually) outlets on the train. Typically they are on the outer part of a row of seats near the door. Sometimes, though, they do not work or are inaccessible due to the large amounts of people on the train. These outlets are not entirely reliable, so if you are keeping your tickets on your phone make sure it is charged!
And it should go without saying but make sure you are a respectful passenger and considerate of those around you. No one wants to hear you blasting your own music from your phone or to be a car completely overtaken by the scent of the food you brought on. Hopefully, those around you will treat you with the same respect!
Once you arrive at your stop, you just exit the train and you are all set! You are free to take on your day and carry on however you like. Happy traveling everyone!
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