For Release Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Contacts Dan Silver - NYRA
516-967-8243
Sam Zambuto/Salvatore Arena
ALL ABOARD! MTA LIRR & NYRA PARTNER TO RESTORE TRAIN SERVICE TO BELMONT PARK
Railroad’s ‘Belmont Special’ Starts Running Friday
MTA Long Island Rail Road and The New York Racing Association announced today the restoration of LIRR train service through the summer to Belmont Park, New York's most famous racetrack, including extra service to the 143rd running of the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, 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, April 29. 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," said LIRR President Helena E. Williams. "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."
NYRA President and CEO Charles Hayward said: “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. 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 on Friday, April 29. For opening weekend at Belmont Park – Friday, April 29, Saturday, April 30 and Sunday, 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
LIRR Service to Belmont Park:
Trains to and from Belmont Park will run at the following times.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
Eastbound
· 11:58 AM from Penn Station, stopping at Woodside at 12:09 PM and Jamaica at 12:20 PM will arrive at Belmont Park at 12:32 PM.
· 1:14 PM from Penn Station, stopping at Woodside at 1:25 PM, and Jamaica 1:40 PM will arrive at Belmont Park at 1:53 PM.
Westbound
· 3:56 PM from Belmont Park, stopping at Jamaica at 4:09 PM and Woodside at 4:23 PM will arrive at Penn Station at 4:34 PM.
· 6 PM train from Belmont Park, stopping at Jamaica at 6:12 PM and Woodside at 6:24PM will arrive at Penn Station at 6:34 PM.
Saturday, Sunday & Holidays
Eastbound
· 11:58 AM train from Penn Station, stopping at Woodside at 12:09 PM and Jamaica at 12:18 PM will arrive at Belmont Park at 12:32 PM.
· 1:16 PM train from Penn Station, stopping at Woodside at 1:28 PM and Jamaica at 1:37 PM will arrive at Belmont Park at 1:54 PM.
Westbound
· 4:27 PM train from Belmont Park, stopping at Jamaica at 4:40 PM and Woodside at 5:10 PM will arrive at Penn Station at 5:09 PM
· 6:27 PM train from Belmont Park, stopping at Jamaica at 6:40 PM, Woodside at 6:51 PM will arrive at Penn Station at 7:02 PM.
The LIRR will provide extra train service for the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, 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. (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 - $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)
For additional information, racing fans can contact the LIRR's Travel Information Center at 718-217-5477 (718-217-LIRR). If you are deaf or hard of hearing, use your preferred relay service provider or the free 711 relay to reach LIRR at 718-217-5477. Customers can also consult the LIRR’s website at www.mta.info.
