Politics & Government
LIRR: Extra Trains For Pope Francis' NYC Visit, But Avoid Traveling Into Manhattan if You Can
The LIRR is trying to make sure commuters don't have to sit on top of each other.
The Long Island Rail Road will provide additional train service for this weekend’s historic papal visit to New York City to make commuting less of a headache.
But LIRR officials are recommending that Manhattan-bound riders transfer to the subway in Brooklyn to avoid a crowded and heavily guarded Penn Station when the Pope is in town from Thursday until Saturday morning.
“We are proud to host Pope Francis here in New York, and we are working to expand mass transit options to ensure that everyone can travel safely and securely during this time,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a press release. “I encourage anyone planning to be in New York City at that time to plan ahead and check the new travel schedules.”
More on the Pope’s Visit:
The LIRR will operate its normal AM and PM peak train service to and from Penn Station. In addition, the LIRR will operate eight additional off-peak westbound trains to Penn Station on Friday, including:
- Three trains leaving from Babylon at 12:20 p.m., 12:43 p.m. and 1:20 p.m.
- Two trains leaving from Huntington at 12:19 p.m. and 1:19 p.m.
- One train leaving from Hicksville at 1:07 p.m.
- Two trains leaving from Ronkonkoma at 12:40 p.m. and 1:40 p.m.
Extra eastbound LIRR trains will be on standby at Penn Station ready to pick up Long Islanders after the Papal Mass at Madison Square Garden on Friday night. Those going to papal events are advised by the MTA to buy round-trip train tickets and MetroCards in advance and to expect train crowding.
“Pope Francis’ visit to New York is a significant honor for everyone in our service area, and we are prepared to accommodate additional customers traveling to his events along with our 8.6 million average weekday customers,” MTA Chairman Thomas F. Prendergast said in a press release. “While some schedules and routes may change, we are ready to get everyone where they need to go during this special time.”
Certain entrances, exits and stairways in Penn Station will be closed for security reasons. Be prepared for it to be extra crowded when leaving Penn Station. MTA Police and additional LIRR staff will be in Penn Station to help any commuters who need assistance.
These entrances will remain open:
- 34th Street entrance
- Amtrak entrance at 32nd Street and Seventh Avenue under the Madison Square Garden marquee
Only those who have tickets are permitted to go the Pope’s events. Everyone else should avoid the areas the Pope is visiting, as road closures will cause plenty of traffic.
The MTA suggests commuters to consider traveling to/from Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn and to then transfer to the 2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, N, Q and R subway lines.
Travelers should check Pope Francis’ New York Itinerary, news and traffic reports. Commuters can find more information about transit conditions by signing up for LIRR alerts.
Photo of Pope Francis 2013 via Edgar Jiménez from Porto, Portugal
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