LIRR › Central Islip
Central Islip LIRR Station: Tickets, Crowding & On-Time Data
Ronkonkoma Branch · Zone 10 · Accessible · From MTA open data · Not affiliated with the MTA
How busy is Central Islip station?
Tickets, not riders: a monthly or weekly ticket counts once however many times it is used, and a round trip counts once.
About 723 tickets a day were sold for trips starting at Central Islip (Oct 2025 – Sep 2026), the #47 most of 126 LIRR stations, and 2.8% more than in the 12 months before. Another 535 a day were sold for trips ending here.
Where do riders from Central Islip go?
The most common destinations on tickets sold from Central Islip, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026.
- Penn Station
47% of tickets342 a day - Jamaica
13% of tickets92 a day - Grand Central
10% of tickets73 a day - Atlantic Terminal
4% of tickets26 a day - Woodside
3% of tickets24 a day - Hicksville
3% of tickets23 a day - Wyandanch
3% of tickets21 a day - Mineola
3% of tickets20 a day
What tickets do Central Islip riders buy?
Oct 2025 – Sep 2026, all ways of buying (TrainTime app, ticket machines and ticket windows).
38% of peak and off-peak tickets from Central Islip were peak fares.
- One-way
214,292 sold81.2% - Day pass
21,794 sold8.3% - Round trip
17,032 sold6.5% - Monthly
5,340 sold2% - 10-trip
3,740 sold1.4% - Weekly
1,583 sold0.6%
How crowded are trains at Central Islip?
Average load as trains leave the station, weekdays, Jul 2026 – Sep 2026, from weight sensors on the LIRR's electric trains (M7 and M9). Diesel trains are not measured. Over 100% means people standing.
On weekdays, trains toward the city are fullest when they leave Central Islip around 7 AM, with about 324 people on board, 27% of the seats.
| Leaving at | Toward the city | Away from the city |
|---|---|---|
| 12 AM | 4% ~45 on board | 13% ~143 on board |
| 1 AM | – | 10% ~106 on board |
| 2 AM | 7% ~56 on board | 7% ~76 on board |
| 3 AM | – | 5% ~58 on board |
| 4 AM | 25% ~308 on board | 6% ~60 on board |
| 5 AM | 22% ~227 on board | – |
| 6 AM | 25% ~269 on board | 8% ~99 on board |
| 7 AM | 27% ~324 on board | 8% ~88 on board |
| 8 AM | 20% ~216 on board | 9% ~94 on board |
| 9 AM | 19% ~195 on board | 9% ~94 on board |
| 10 AM | 16% ~164 on board | 5% ~56 on board |
| 11 AM | 13% ~155 on board | 10% ~104 on board |
| 12 PM | 13% ~147 on board | 8% ~85 on board |
| 1 PM | 14% ~134 on board | 11% ~105 on board |
| 2 PM | 13% ~136 on board | 15% ~157 on board |
| 3 PM | 19% ~184 on board | 26% ~294 on board |
| 4 PM | 18% ~198 on board | 20% ~239 on board |
| 5 PM | 18% ~231 on board | 20% ~213 on board |
| 6 PM | 12% ~153 on board | 18% ~208 on board |
| 7 PM | 8% ~79 on board | 16% ~183 on board |
| 8 PM | 7% ~83 on board | 15% ~164 on board |
| 9 PM | 8% ~81 on board | 15% ~140 on board |
| 10 PM | 7% ~69 on board | 15% ~183 on board |
| 11 PM | 7% ~70 on board | 15% ~173 on board |
Are Central Islip trains on time?
On time means arriving within 5 minutes 59 seconds of schedule. The railroad reports this by branch, not by station.
From Oct 2025 – Sep 2026, 92.9% of Ronkonkoma trains were on time (95.2% the year before). Every LIRR branch compared →
Elevators and escalators
The railroad reports elevator and escalator availability by branch, not by station.
Central Islip is listed as accessible. Across the Ronkonkoma Branch, elevators worked 99.4% of the time over the last 12 months.
Other stations on the Ronkonkoma Branch
- Bethpage 808 tickets a day
- Brentwood 541 tickets a day
- Deer Park 1,568 tickets a day
- Farmingdale 1,100 tickets a day
- Pinelawn 12 tickets a day
- Ronkonkoma 4,071 tickets a day
- Wyandanch 869 tickets a day
Schedules, parking and station details: Central Islip on mta.info.
Questions
How busy is Central Islip station?
About 723 tickets a day were sold for trips starting at Central Islip (Oct 2025 – Sep 2026), the #47 most of 126 LIRR stations, 2.8% more than the year before.
Is Central Islip station accessible?
Yes. The MTA lists Central Islip as fully accessible.
What fare zone is Central Islip in?
Central Islip is in zone 10 on the Ronkonkoma Branch.
How crowded are trains at Central Islip?
On weekdays, trains toward the city are fullest when they leave Central Islip around 7 AM, with about 324 people on board (27% of seats).
Where do people go from Central Islip?
The most common destination on tickets from Central Islip is Penn Station.
Data (data.ny.gov): MTA Railroad Ticket Sales, MTA Rail Stations, LIRR Stop-Level Occupancy, LIRR Elevator and Escalator Availability, LIRR On-Time Performance. 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.