LIRR Service to Belmont Park Resumes on Friday, September 5th

Written by Long Island News & PR | 04. September 2014

Elmont, NY - September 3rd, 2014 - The thoroughbreds are back from Saratoga and the MTA Long Island Rail Road's 'Belmont Special' is at the starting gate and ready for the fall racing season at beautiful Belmont Park. The LIRR is partnering with The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) again this year to provide regular train service for racing fans for the start of the Fall Meet Friday, September 5, and continuing through October 26. Through the partnership, NYRA is subsidizing the cost of operating the LIRR Belmont service for racing fans.

Belmont Park is only a half-hour train ride from midtown Manhattan and the LIRR's "Belmont Special" ticket package entitles LIRR customers to a $1 discount off the regular $3 grandstand admission.

First race post time at Belmont will be 1:05 PM from September 5 through September 21 and 12:50 PM from September 24 through October 26. There is no racing on Mondays and Tuesdays, with the exception of Columbus Day, Monday, October 13 when a full racing program is scheduled. There is also no racing on Wednesday, October 15 nor on Wednesday, October 15.

LIRR Service to Belmont Park

Trains to and from Belmont Park will run at the following times.

Saturdays & Sundays

Eastbound

11:04 AM train from Penn Station, stopping at Woodside at 11:16 AM and Jamaica at 11:29 AM will arrive at Belmont Park at 11:43 AM.
11:57 AM train from Penn Station, stopping at Jamaica at 12:20 PM, will connect with the 'Belmont Special' train departing Jamaica at 12:30 PM, arriving Belmont Park at 12:43 PM. A connecting train also departs Woodside at 12:03 PM with a transfer at Jamaica.Westbound
4:41 PM train from Belmont Park stops at Jamaica at 4:58 PM where transfers are available for trains arriving at Woodside at 5:25 PM, and arriving at Penn Station at 5:36 PM.
6:12 PM train from Belmont Park, stopping at Jamaica at 6:28 PM, Woodside at 6:39 PM will arrive at Penn Station at 6:49 PM. (Note: The departure time for this train is approximate, since this train is scheduled to depart 30 minutes after the last race. On Jockey Club Gold Cup Day, Saturday, September 28, the last race is at 6:20 PM.)

Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (and Monday, Oct. 13)

Eastbound

10:58 AM from Penn Station, stopping at Woodside at 11:10 AM and Jamaica at 11:19 AM will arrive at Belmont Park at 11:33 AM.
11:40 AM from Penn Station, stopping at Jamaica 12:01 PM, will connect with the 'Belmont Special' train departing Jamaica at 12:20 PM, arriving Belmont Park at 12:33 PM. (A connecting train departs Woodside at 11:51 AM with a transfer at Jamaica)

Westbound

3:42 PM from Belmont Park stops at Jamaica at 3:55 PM where a transfer is available for a train arriving at Woodside at 4:12 PM, and arriving at Penn Station at 4:22 PM.
6:25 PM train from Belmont Park, stopping at Jamaica at 6:40 PM and Woodside at 6:57 PM will arrive at Penn Station at 7:07 PM. (Note: The departure time for this train is approximate, since this train is scheduled to depart 30 minutes after the last race.)

Buying LIRR Belmont Package Tickets

Belmont Package Tickets are available at LIRR ticket offices as well as from the gray, blue, and green Touch Screen ticket machines at stations – just press the "Deals & Getaways" button on the first screen; then select "Belmont Park." Payment can be made with cash, ATM/Debit or Credit Cards (blue machines don't accept cash). The LIRR ticket office at Belmont Station is closed and there are no ticket machines at Belmont.

Weekly and monthly ticket holders can use their tickets for travel to Jamaica and need only purchase a $11 round-trip package ticket at an LIRR station prior to boarding the 'Belmont Special' to cover the fare between Belmont Park and Jamaica. Round-trip tickets are not sold on-board trains. A one-way ticket from Jamaica to Belmont, purchased at an LIRR station to use in conjunction with a monthly or weekly ticket, is $7. One-way tickets for travel between Jamaica and Belmont, sold on trains to use in conjunction with a monthly or weekly ticket, are $12.

Buy Your Ticket Before You Board the Train

To avoid higher on-board fares and save time, customers should purchase round-trip tickets in advance. (Please note: CityTicket is not valid for travel to or from Belmont Park.)

LIRR Train Fares to Belmont Park by Zone

From New York, Brooklyn, and Woodside

Purchased at Station: One Way - $8.00 / Round-trip- $14.00

Purchased On-Board Train: One Way- $14.00 / Round-trip – Not sold on train

From Jamaica

Purchased at Station: One Way - $7.00 / Round-trip- $11.00

Purchased On-Board Train: One Way - $12.00 / Round-trip - Not sold on train

Round-trip fares from Long Island with transfer at Jamaica: (not valid on peak trains)

Zone 3 - $11.00 (Rosedale, St. Albans, Queens Village, Hollis)
Zone 4 - $13.00 (Far Rockaway, Lynbrook, Hempstead, Mineola)
Zone 7 - $15.00 (Long Beach, Massapequa, Hicksville, Oyster Bay)
Zone 9 - $18.00 (Babylon, Deer Park, Huntington, Northport)
Zone 10 - $24.00 (Bay Shore, Sayville, Ronkonkoma, Patchogue, Port Jefferson)

LIRR tickets are good for 60 days from date of sale; refundable within 60 days from date of sale and are subject to a $10 refund processing fee per transaction.

Accessibility

The LIRR's Belmont Station is not wheelchair accessible, and there are no elevators and only limited escalator service. It is necessary to use a staircase to and from most train platforms at Belmont Station.

For Additional Information

For additional information, racing fans can contact the LIRR's Customer Service Center by calling 511, the New York State Travel Information Line, and say: Long Island Rail Road. They can also go to the LIRR website to consult the LIRR's Belmont Park Schedule, copies of which are also available at LIRR terminals and stations. For up-to-the-minute service info, customers can download the LIRR’s Train Time app or sign up for LIRR’s free E-alerts. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, use your preferred relay service provider for the free 711 relay to reach LIRR at 511.

For information on races and admission to Belmont Park, call 516-488-6000 or visit NYRA's website at www.nyra.com