CityTicket fare is $3.00.

A pilot program for Saturday and Sunday travel between

Brooklyn or Manhattan and Queens on MTA Long Island Rail Road
Manhattan and the Bronx on MTA Metro-North Railroad

CityTicket is a new way to travel on Saturday and Sunday within the city limits on Long Island Rail Road or Metro-North Railroad. Your ride will be fast, comfortable, and convenient, and the cost is only $3.00 for single-direction one-way travel.

You can also use CityTicket on weekends to speed your trip to or from JFK Airport. Use CityTicket for Long Island Rail Road travel to or from Jamaica Station for your AirTrain connection.

Price

CityTicket costs just $3.00 and is good for one-way travel that begins and ends within New York City (LIRR riders can change trains at Jamaica as long as they continue their trips in the same direction).

On the LIRR, you can use CityTicket for trips within Zone 1 or between Zones 1 and 3 (see station lists and map for details); on MNR, you can use CityTicket for trips on Hudson or Harlem line trains between the Bronx and Manhattan.

Other low fare programs — including Family Fare, reduced-fare programs for senior citizens and people with disabilities, certain WebTickets, LIRR’s $2.50 off-peak fare for travel within Zone 3, and MNR's $2.25 intermediate fare that is valid at all times for travel within the Bronx — remain in effect.

Buying a CityTicket

You can purchase tickets at New York City LIRR or MNR ticket windows or ticket machines at stations in the program. Not all stations have ticket windows open on weekends, but all stations have ticket machines.

LIRR tickets may be purchased with cash or personal checks at ticket windows or with cash or credit/debit/ATM cards at ticket machines. MNR tickets may be purchased with cash or credit/debit/ATM cards at both ticket windows and ticket machines. You cannot use MetroCard to pay for CityTicket.

CityTicket cannot be purchased on board a train; if you buy tickets on board the train you have to pay the full on-board off-peak fare.

Tickets go on sale at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday and must be used on the day of purchase. A grace period allows you to travel until 4 a.m. Sunday or Monday morning for tickets purchased on Saturdays or Sundays respectively. Check the appropriate schedules to determine if service to your destination is available.

Look up train timetables on this website, or at the station. When purchasing your tickets at a ticket window or ticket machine, you will be asked for your starting point and destination. If your trip falls within the CityTicket area, you will be offered the option to purchase CityTicket.

If you are traveling with children, remember that children under 5 ride free and up to four children 5 to 11 per adult or guardian pay just 75 cents.

Restrictions

CityTicket is valid only for travel on Saturday or Sunday.
CityTicket is valid only on the date of purchase.
CityTicket must be purchased at ticket windows or ticket machines.
CityTicket cannot be bought on board trains.
LIRR CityTicket is not valid for travel to or from Shea Stadium and Belmont Park stations (which are only open during special events), or the Far Rockaway Station (because these trips travel through Nassau county).
MNR CityTicket is not valid on New Haven Line trains between Manhattan and Fordham Station.
CityTicket cannot be combined for travel between New York City stations and points outside the city.
CityTicket is valid for direct travel only; you cannot change direction at junction points.
There is no free transfer between the railroads and subways or buses.
In order to avoid abuse, CityTicket has a limited ticket refund policy. You may apply by mail for a refund within 30 days; a $2.50 service fee per ticket will be charged. If there is a possibility that your plans may change, consider purchasing your return ticket later in the day.

For more information call:

Long Island Rail Road Travel Information: 718-217-5477
Metro-North Railroad Travel Information: 212-532-4900

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I go and how long will it take?
The chart below shows some typical CityTicket trips and how much time it takes to make the same trip by subway and/or bus.

Station	Rail	Subway/bus (includes connect time)
Penn Sta. to/from Flushing	Under 20 min.	40 min.
Penn Sta. to/from Rosedale	31 min.	42 min. subway + 45 min. bus
Jamaica to/from Flatbush Av	Under 20 min.	70 min.
GCT to/from Botanical Garden (Bronx)	20–25 min.	36 min. subway + 14 min. bus
GCT to/from Marble Hill	23 min.	40 min.

Does CityTicket replace the LIRR’s lower ticket price for travel within Zone 3?
No. Travel during off-peak times that begins and ends in LIRR’s Zone 3 (see list of stations) costs $2.50, $1.75 for reduced fare customers, 75 cents for children 5 to 11, and is free for children under 5. But CityTicket will lower the price for travel within Zone 1 or between Zones 1 and 3.

Does CityTicket replace MNR’s lower ticket price for travel within the Bronx?
No. Intermediate fares for travel within the Bronx remains $2.25 at all times, $1.00 for reduced fare customers, 75 cents for children 5 to 11, and is free for children under 5. But CityTicket will lower the cost of a trip between Manhattan and the Bronx.

What do I do if the Ticket Window at a station is closed and the Ticket Machine is not working?
When you board the train pay the full on-board fare and get a receipt. You can then apply by mail for a refund for the difference. Service charges will not apply. Mail your ticket receipt and request to LIRR Refund Department, P.O. Box 350383, Jamaica, NY 11435 or Metro-North Railroad, Ticket Redemption, P.O. Box 4117, New York, NY 10017.

Can I use CityTicket if I am traveling beyond the city limits?
No. CityTicket is valid for trips beginning and ending within the city limits. If you are traveling outside the city limits on either end of your trip, you must purchase the standard fare. Be sure to purchase your ticket before you board to avoid the higher on-board fare.

Is there a reduced CityTicket fare for seniors and people with disabilities?
Because CityTicket represents a significant discount from our regular fares, no further reduced-fare discounts are available. For most CityTicket trips, the cost of CityTicket is less than the reduced-fare ticket price for seniors and people with disabilities.

How can I use CityTicket to get to JFK Airport on weekends?
Use CityTicket to travel within the city to or from Jamaica Station for connection to AirTrain JFK, a service of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. AirTrain fare is $5 and you pay it with Pay-Per-Ride MetroCard, available at vending machines throughout the city and at the AirTrain station at Jamaica. Total travel time from Penn Station or Flatbush Avenue-Atlantic Terminal is about 35 minutes.

Remember that if you are traveling within LIRR Zone 3 (see list of stations), your railroad fare during off-peak hours is $2.50 ($1.75 for reduced-fare customers, 75 cents for children 5 to 11, and free for children under 5).

Long Island Rail Road Stations

Metro-North Railroad Stations