MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and the New York Racing Association (NYRA)
announced Tuesday the restoration of LIRR train service through the summer to
Belmont Park, including extra service to the 143rd running of the Belmont S.
(G1) on June 11. The partnership between the LIRR and NYRA brings regular train
service back to racing fans for the start of the spring-summer meet this coming
Friday. The service was eliminated in 2010 as one of a number of service
reductions implemented by the LIRR to address the MTA’s $900 million budget
shortfall.
“This is a unique agreement that brings in new revenue for the LIRR while
restoring an important service for customers,” LIRR President Helena E. Williams
said. “We are grateful that the New York Racing Association has stepped up to
bring back a service that the LIRR could no longer afford to provide on our own
in the current financial climate. The LIRR has been taking racing fans to
Belmont for decades and we hope this new partnership between our organizations
will continue for decades to come.”
“We are thrilled to partner with the Long Island Rail Road to provide daily
train service to and from Belmont Park for the upcoming meet,” NYRA President
and CEO Charles Hayward said. “This will allow easy and convenient access for
customers in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens that want to enjoy an afternoon of
racing at Belmont.”
Williams and NYRA officials made the announcement at a news conference in
Penn Station where they were joined by Sam the Bugler, the famed racetrack
musician who summons fans to the rail with stirring renditions of “Call to the
Post.”
The LIRR’s “Belmont Special” ticket package goes on sale Friday. For opening
weekend at Belmont Park — April 29 through May 1 — LIRR customers will be
entitled to free grandstand admission at the racetrack. Regular admission to the
grandstand is $3. For the remainder of the spring-summer meet, LIRR customers
who purchase “Belmont Package” tickets will receive a $1 discount off the
regular $3 admission.
Trains to and from Belmont Park will run at the following times:
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
Eastbound
· 11:58 a.m. from Penn Station, stopping at Woodside at 12:09 p.m. and
Jamaica at 12:20 p.m. will arrive at Belmont Park at 12:32 p.m.
· 1:14 p.m. from Penn Station, stopping at Woodside at 1:25 p.m., and Jamaica
1:40 p.m. will arrive at Belmont Park at 1:53 p.m.
Westbound
· 3:56 p.m. from Belmont Park, stopping at Jamaica at 4:09 p.m. and Woodside
at 4:23 p.m. will arrive at Penn Station at 4:34 p.m.
· 6 p.m. train from Belmont Park, stopping at Jamaica at 6:12 p.m. and
Woodside at 6:24 p.m. will arrive at Penn Station at 6:34 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday & Holidays
Eastbound
· 11:58 p.m. train from Penn Station, stopping at Woodside at 12:09 p.m. and
Jamaica at 12:18 p.m. will arrive at Belmont Park at 12:32 p.m.
· 1:16 p.m. train from Penn Station, stopping at Woodside at 1:28 p.m. and
Jamaica at 1:37 p.m. will arrive at Belmont Park at 1:54 p.m.
Westbound
· 4:27 p.m. train from Belmont Park, stopping at Jamaica at 4:40 p.m. and
Woodside at 5:10 p.m. will arrive at Penn Station at 5:09 p.m.
· 6:27 p.m. train from Belmont Park, stopping at Jamaica at 6:40 p.m.,
Woodside at 6:51 p.m. will arrive at Penn Station at 7:02 p.m.
The LIRR will provide extra train service for the Belmont S. on June 11.
Belmont Package tickets are also available at LIRR 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. The LIRR ticket office at its 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 $10 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.
One-way tickets for travel between Jamaica and Belmont, sold on trains to use
in conjunction with a monthly or weekly ticket, are $13. A one-way ticket from
Jamaica to Belmont, purchased at an LIRR station to use in conjunction with a
monthly or weekly ticket, is $6.
To avoid higher on-board fares and save time, customers should purchase
round-trip tickets in advance.
LIRR Train Fares to Belmont Park By Zone
From New York, Brooklyn, and Woodside:
Purchased at Station: One Way — $7.00 / Round-trip — $13.00
Purchased On-Board Train: One Way — $14.00 / Round-trip — Not sold on train
From Jamaica:
Purchased at Station: One Way — $6.00 / Round-trip — $10.00
Purchased On-Board Train: One Way — $13.00 / Round-trip — Not sold on train
Round-trip fares from Long Island with transfer at Jamaica:
Zone 3 — $10.00 (Rosedale, St. Albans, Queens Village, Hollis)
Zone 4 — $12.00 (Far Rockaway, Lynbrook, Hempstead, Mineola)
Zone 7 — $14.00 (Long Beach, Massapequa, Hicksville, Oyster Bay)
Zone 9 — $17.00 (Babylon, Deer Park, Huntington, Northport)
Zone 10 — $22.00 (Bay Shore, Sayville, Ronkonkoma, Patchogue, Port
Jefferson)