Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Contacts: Dan Silver
dsilver@nyrainc.com
MTA Press Office
(212) 878-7440
LIRR’S ‘BELMONT SPECIAL’ IS ON TRACK FOR SPRING RACING SEASON
ELMONT, N.Y. – The MTA Long Island Rail Road’s “Belmont Special” is off and running to beautiful Belmont Park for the spring racing season. 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 Belmont spring meet, starting Friday, April 27, and continuing through July 15. Through the partnership, NYRA subsidizes 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.
Post time is 12:50 p.m. on all racing days, except Saturday, June 9 – Belmont Stakes Day – when the post time is 11:35 a.m. On three Fridays – June 29, July 6 and July 13 – post time is 3 p.m. Belmont Park admission gates open at 11:15 a.m. daily. There is no racing on Mondays and Tuesdays, with the exception of Monday, May 28. There is no racing on Wednesday, May 30, Wednesday, July 11, and Sunday, June 10.
LIRR Service to Belmont Park
Trains to and from Belmont Park will run at the following times:
Saturdays, Sundays & Holidays
Eastbound
- 10:58 a.m. from Penn Station, stopping at Woodside at 11:09 a.m. and Jamaica at 11:18 a.m. will arrive at Belmont Park at 11:32 a.m.
- 11:51 a.m. from Penn Station, stopping at Woodside at 12:03 p.m. and Jamaica at 12:12 p.m. will arrive at Belmont Park at 12:33 p.m.
Saturdays, Sundays & Holidays
Westbound
- 4:27 p.m. train from Belmont Park, stopping at Jamaica at 4:40 p.m. will arrive at Penn Station at 5:09 p.m. (A connecting train at Jamaica will arrive Woodside at 5:10 p.m.)
- 6:27 p.m. train from Belmont Park, stopping at Jamaica at 6:40 p.m. and Woodside at 6:51 p.m. will arrive at Penn Station at 7:02 p.m. (Note: The departure time for this train is approximate, since this train is scheduled to depart 30 minutes after the last race.)
Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (with exception of Wed., May 30, July 6 & July 11)
Eastbound
- 10:58 a.m. from Penn Station, stopping at Woodside at 11:09 a.m. and Jamaica at 11:18 a.m. will arrive at Belmont Park at 11:32 a.m.
- 11:42 a.m. from Penn Station, stopping at Jamaica 12:02 p.m. will arrive at Belmont Park at 12:32 p.m. (A connecting train departs Woodside at 11:46 a.m. for a transfer at Jamaica)
Westbound
- 3:42 p.m. from Belmont Park, stopping at Jamaica at 3:55 p.m. and Woodside at 4:15 p.m. will arrive at Penn Station at 4:25 p.m.
- 6 p.m. train from Belmont Park, stopping at Jamaica at 6:19 p.m. and Woodside at 6:31 p.m. will arrive at Penn Station at 6:41 p.m. (Note: The departure time for this train is approximate, since this train is scheduled to depart 30 minutes after the last race.)
New LIRR timetables take effect on May 14. Belmont customers should pick up a new Belmont timetable on May 14, or consult the LIRR website, for any adjustments to the Belmont train schedules.
The LIRR will provide extra train service for the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 9.
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 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. 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. One-way tickets for travel between Jamaica and Belmont, sold on trains to use in conjunction with a monthly or weekly ticket, are $11.
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 - $13.00 / 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 - $11.00 / 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)
LIRR tickets are good for 14 days from date of sale; refundable within 30 days from date of sale and 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, racing fans can contact the LIRR's Travel Information Center by calling 511, the New York State Travel Information Line, and say: Long Island Rail Road. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, use your preferred relay service provider for the free 711 relay to reach LIRR at 511. Customers can also consult the LIRR’s Belmont Park Schedule on the website at www.mta.info/lirr.
For information on races and admission to Belmont Park, call 516-488-6000 or visit NYRA’s website at www.nyra.com.
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