Extra Christmas Holiday Service

The MTA Long Island Rail Road is the best way to travel this coming Christmas Holiday weekend if you can't hitch a ride on Santa's sleigh. For customers leaving early for the holiday weekend, there will be 13 extra trains departing Penn Station on Christmas Eve (Wednesday, December 24) between 12:55 PM and 3:48 PM. In addition, off-peak fares will be in effect for the entire weekend (December 25 through December 28). The special Family Fare program will also be in effect this long weekend where up to four children ages 5-11 can ride for the advance purchase fare of 75-cents each when accompanied by fare-paying parent or guardian. Weekly and monthly ticket holders just pay for the kids. Children under 5 ride free.

The extra service for Wednesday, December 24 is as follows:

Ronkonkoma Branch

• 12:55 PM stopping at Woodside, Jamaica, Mineola, Hicksville and all stops to Ronkonkoma
• 1:55 PM stopping at Woodside, Jamaica, Mineola, Hicksville and all stops to Ronkonkoma

Babylon Branch

• 1:30 PM express to Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon
• 1:52 PM stopping at Jamaica, Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon
• 2:12 PM express to Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon
• 2:22 PM express to Lynbrook, then all stops to Babylon
• 3:00 PM stopping at Jamaica, Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon
• 3:31 PM express to Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon

The 5:59 PM from Penn Station to Babylon will not operate on Christmas Eve. Customers will be accommodated by the 6:05 PM from Penn Station, which will make all stops from Merrick to Babylon on Christmas Eve.

Port Jefferson Branch (to Huntington)

• 2:09 PM stopping at Jamaica, Carle Place, then all stops to Huntington
• 2:26 PM stopping at Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Jamaica, New Hyde Park, then all stops to Huntington
• 3:24 PM stopping at Jamaica, Mineola, Westbury, Hicksville

Port Washington Branch (to Great Neck)

• 3:40 PM stopping at Woodside, Flushing, then all stops to Great Neck

Far Rockaway Branch

• 3:48 PM stopping at Locust Manor, Laurelton, Rosedale, Valley Stream, then all stops to Far Rockaway

The LIRR will operate on a weekend/holiday schedule Christmas Day (December 25). A weekday schedule will be in effect on Friday, December 26, but off-peak fares will be offered all day.

New LIRR timetables effective December 15, 2008 - March 1, 2009 are available at stations and terminals and on the LIRR website. The schedules highlight the extra trains for the Christmas and New Years holidays.

For additional travel information, customers can contact the LIRR's 24-hour Travel Information Center, in Suffolk County at 631-231-LIRR, in Nassau County at 516-822-LIRR or in New York City at 718-217-LIRR. The Travel Information Center's TDD telephone number for the hearing impaired is 718-558-3022.