New York commuter rail ridership hits new highs as LIRR returns to pre-pandemic levels

New York's two commuter railroads are posting post-pandemic highs, according to figures released by Governor Kathy Hochul's office. Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) ridership in September 2026 reached 102% of September 2019 levels, the second calendar month since the pandemic to exceed 2019 ridership, while Metro-North Railroad set a weekend ridership record on October 24-25.

LIRR: three weeks above 300,000 weekday riders

On Wednesday, September 9, the LIRR carried 321,497 riders, its second-highest weekday ridership of 2026, surpassed only by the 369,482 riders on June 18 for the Knicks championship parade. September also saw the first three consecutive weeks since the pandemic with Tuesday-to-Thursday ridership above 300,000 customers each day. The railroad credits the opening of Grand Central Madison and the completion of the Main Line Third Track and Double Track projects, which enabled a 41% increase in service.

Metro-North: leaf season drives a record weekend

Metro-North carried 323,423 customers over the October 24-25 weekend, beating its previous record of 302,610 riders for the June 13-14 weekend and running 25.5% above October 2019 weekend ridership. The railroad introduced its Leaf Peeper service on October 3 for fall foliage visitors to the Hudson Valley and expanded it on October 17; it now runs 40 extra weekend trains on Saturdays and Sundays, and fall weekend ridership is twice what it was in 2019.

CityTicket is driving the growth

The discounted CityTicket is a key growth engine: valid for trips within New York City limits, it costs $5 off-peak and $7 at peak times, with a Day Pass added in January 2026. Between 2022 and 2025, CityTicket sales surged 361%, and CityTickets now account for 29% of all ticket sales across the two railroads. Growth at individual stations has been dramatic: ridership rose 478% at Laurelton in Queens and 503% at Melrose in the Bronx. For New Yorkers in neighbourhoods underserved by the subway, the discounted fare makes commuter rail a more affordable option.