• Monthly Ticket Holders’ Family and Friends Ride For $1
• Discounts on Saturdays and Sundays
• Discounts Start Saturday, Jan. 4

NEW YORK CITY (TIP) : The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Metro-North Railroad “Winter Weekend” discount program. This program expands on the popular “Summer Saturday” discount program that enables monthly ticketholders to travel anywhere the railroads go and bring friends of family for just $1 each.

Beginning on Saturday, Jan. 4, both railroads will honor all monthly tickets for travel to and from all stations within the LIRR or Metro-North territories regardless of which stations are printed on the ticket. Monthly ticket holders traveling on Saturdays and Sundays will be able to bring up to two additional travelers for only $1 per person each way. Promotional $1 tickets can be purchased via the Train Time app under Family Fares or on board without incurring an extra charge.

The program begins as the Authority implements the Congestion Relief Zone on Sunday, Jan. 5, and is one of the many ways the MTA is encouraging customers to take public transit. On Tuesday, Dec. 17, Governor Hochul announced the MTA will enhance service on 24 bus routes across New York City. This follows systemwide service increases on 11 subway lines that took effect between July 2023 and July 2024.

“Taking the train is the fastest and most convenient way to get to the city this winter and with record-levels of on-time performance and more service than ever before, you can count on the LIRR to get you where you need to go, said Long Island Rail Road President Rob Free. “Skip winter traffic and enjoy the trip at great prices.”

“Monthly Metro-North riders know that the railroad is the most reliable, fastest and safest way to travel,” said Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi. “Whether it’s a winter excursion upstate or a trip into the iconic Grand Central, we’ve made your experience even more affordable with steep discounts for family and friends.”

In 2024, the LIRR achieved a higher year-to-date on-time performance of 95.7%, compared to the same time period in 2019, and recorded the best November in the railroad’s history with an on-time performance of 96.2%, all while running 40% more service. Metro-North continues to deliver on-time performance levels of 98% and is breaking weekend ridership records, surpassing pre-COVID ridership on multiple occasions this fall.

There will be no cross-honoring of these discounted tickets between the railroads, meaning LIRR customers cannot use their monthly tickets to travel on Metro-North, and vice versa. The program is expected to run through the end of March.