Long Island, NY - September 21, 2015 - The Long Island Rail Road wants customers to know that a number of changes to little-used ticketing procedures that have faded in popularity are taking effect at the beginning of October. Most of the changes were previously announced when they were approved by the MTA Board in July.
WebTicket, which allowed LIRR customers to order tickets online and have them delivered by mail within 7 business days, will no longer be available beginning Thursday, October 1. The popularity of WebTicket has declined significantly, representing only 0.1% of the LIRR’s ticket sales. Monthly ticket buyers are encouraged to sign up for Mail&Ride, the LIRR’s convenient ticket-by-mail subscription service. Other customers are advised to allow time to buy tickets at easy-to-use LIRR ticket machines and staffed ticket windows, where available.
Monthly Tickets: Validity will now start at 12 midnight on the first day of the month, rather than at 8 p.m. on the last day of the prior month. (This does not affect the first business day of the month courtesy, which allows monthly ticket holders to surrender the previous month’s ticket on a morning rush hour train, then buy their new monthly ticket at their destination before the commute home. This practice will remain in effect.)
Weekly Tickets: Validity will now start at 12 midnight on Saturday mornings, rather than at 8 p.m., on Fridays.
One-Way Tickets, which are valid for 60 days from date of purchase, will now expire at 11:59 p.m. on the 60th day. (Previously, they expired at 4 a.m. on the 61st day.)
Stop-Overs at intermediate stations are no longer permitted with one-way or round-trip tickets starting October 1, 2015. This seldom-used option had allowed customers who purchased one-way or round-trip tickets to exit the train at an intermediate stop, and re-board later in the day using a single ticket.
Going forward, customers should purchase separate tickets for each leg of their trip. To save money, buy before boarding at a ticket machine or staffed LIRR Ticket Window, since tickets bought onboard the train cost up to $6.50 more than the station price. Monthly and weekly ticketholders are not affected by this change.
For More Information
This information will be available via the LIRR’s website. Customers can also contact the LIRR’s Customer Service Center by calling 511, the New York State Travel Information Line, and saying: Long Island Rail Road. If you are hearing impaired, use your preferred relay service provider for the free 711 relay to reach LIRR at 511.