LIRR On-Time Performance, Delays & Ridership
Long Island Rail Road report card from MTA open data, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026, updated monthly · Not affiliated with the MTA
Is the LIRR on time?
A train is on time if it arrives at its last stop within 5 minutes 59 seconds of schedule (the railroad's own measure).
From Oct 2025 – Sep 2026, 95% of Long Island Rail Road trains were on time, compared with 96.2% in the 12 months before. At morning rush hour it was 93.9%, and 94.2% at evening rush hour.
On time, by month
Which LIRR branch is the most on time?
Oct 2025 – Sep 2026, most on time first. Late and cancelled trains come from the railroad's train-by-train delay records, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026.
| Branch | On time | Year before | Late trains | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic | 98.6% | 98.5% | – | – |
| Far Rockaway | 97.3% | 97.4% | 500 | 92 |
| West Hempstead | 97.2% | 97.4% | 323 | 61 |
| Port Washington | 96.6% | 96.9% | 991 | 168 |
| Hempstead | 95.6% | 96.5% | 754 | 50 |
| Long Beach | 95.1% | 95.8% | 819 | 153 |
| Oyster Bay | 94% | 96.5% | 521 | 99 |
| Babylon | 93.8% | 95.6% | 2,831 | 269 |
| Huntington | 93.5% | 95.5% | 1,980 | 163 |
| Ronkonkoma | 92.9% | 95.2% | 2,370 | 312 |
| Port Jefferson | 92.7% | 94.2% | 848 | 83 |
| Montauk | 91.4% | 93.6% | 1,461 | 211 |
Why are LIRR trains late?
The railroad's train-by-train delay records, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026.
| Cause | Late trains | Average delay | Cancelled |
|---|---|---|---|
| External Factors | 4,077 | 14 min | 1,008 |
| Train Operations | 3,903 | 9 min | 90 |
| Fleet | 2,083 | 13 min | 400 |
| Infrastructure Maintenance | 1,710 | 13 min | 217 |
| Police | 1,351 | 14 min | 147 |
| Customer Assistance | 661 | 10 min | 14 |
| Capital Projects | 29 | 10 min | 0 |
| 3rd Party Operations | 3 | 10 min | 0 |
How many people ride the LIRR?
The MTA's daily ridership counts, averaged over each month.
About 229,509 rides a day over the last 12 full months, 4% more than the 12 months before.
Rides a day, by month
What do riders complain about?
Complaints riders sent the MTA about the Long Island Rail Road, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026.
- Cleanliness5,109
- Rules and policies2,929
- Delays, cancellations or service changes1,785
- An MTA employee1,466
- Broken equipment1,039
- Comfort (heat, crowding, noise)1,025
- Website or app issue468
- Schedules and service planning391
Crime on the LIRR
The seven major felonies, which the MTA Police patrol on the railroads.
The MTA counted 140 major felonies on the Long Island Rail Road in the last 12 months, compared with 154 the year before. Subway and railroad crime →
Every LIRR station
Each station page shows tickets sold there, where riders go, how crowded trains are by hour and its branch's on-time rate. Oct 2025 – Sep 2026.
Busiest stations (tickets sold for trips starting there)
- Penn Station
City Terminal Zone29,990 a day - Jamaica
City Terminal Zone16,528 a day - Grand Central
City Terminal Zone11,814 a day - Atlantic Terminal
City Terminal Zone4,640 a day - Ronkonkoma
Ronkonkoma4,071 a day - Hicksville
Port Jefferson3,793 a day - Mineola
Port Jefferson3,177 a day - Woodside
City Terminal Zone2,910 a day - Bayside
Port Washington2,264 a day - Huntington
Port Jefferson2,030 a day
Babylon Branch
- Amityville
- Babylon
- Baldwin
- Bellmore
- Copiague
- Freeport
- Lindenhurst
- Massapequa
- Massapequa Park
- Merrick
- Rockville Centre
- Seaford
- Wantagh
Belmont Branch
City Terminal Zone
- Atlantic Terminal
- East New York
- Forest Hills
- Grand Central
- Hunterspoint Av
- Jamaica
- Kew Gardens
- Long Island City
- Nostrand Av
- Penn Station
- Woodside
Far Rockaway Branch
Greenport Branch
Hempstead Branch
- Bellerose
- Country Life Press
- Elmont-UBS Arena
- Floral Park
- Garden City
- Hempstead
- Hollis
- Nassau Blvd
- Queens Village
- Stewart Manor
Long Beach Branch
Montauk Branch
- Amagansett
- Bay Shore
- Bellport
- Bridgehampton
- East Hampton
- Great River
- Hampton Bays
- Islip
- Mastic-Shirley
- Montauk
- Oakdale
- Patchogue
- Sayville
- Southampton
- Speonk
- Westhampton
Oyster Bay Branch
Port Jefferson Branch
- Carle Place
- Cold Spring Harbor
- Greenlawn
- Hicksville
- Huntington
- Kings Park
- Merillon Av
- Mineola
- New Hyde Park
- Northport
- Port Jefferson
- Smithtown
- St. James
- Stony Brook
- Syosset
- Westbury
Port Washington Branch
- Auburndale
- Bayside
- Broadway
- Douglaston
- Flushing Main Street
- Great Neck
- Little Neck
- Manhasset
- Mets-Willets Point
- Murray Hill
- Plandome
- Port Washington
Ronkonkoma Branch
West Hempstead Branch
Questions
Is the LIRR on time?
From Oct 2025 – Sep 2026, 95% of Long Island Rail Road trains were on time (the 96.2% the year before). The railroad counts a train as on time if it arrives within 5 minutes 59 seconds of schedule.
Which LIRR branch is the most on time?
Atlantic (98.6% on time). The least on time was Montauk (91.4%).
Why are LIRR trains late?
The most common cause was external factors (4,077 late trains), out of 13,817 late trains and 1,876 cancelled or partly cancelled trains in 12 months.
How many people ride the LIRR?
About 229,509 rides a day over the last 12 full months, 4% more than the 12 months before.
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Data (data.ny.gov): LIRR On-Time Performance, LIRR Delays, MTA Daily Ridership, MTA Customer Feedback. Updated Nov 3, 2026.
Source code: github.com/MantieReid/mta-data-analysis · Analysis by Mantie Reid II (CC BY 4.0).
This is an independent data analysis project and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
Data is sourced from the MTA through the New York State Open Data Portal. Visualizations, calculations, and interpretations are independently produced. Data may be revised, incomplete, or delayed. For official transit information, visit mta.info.