LIRR riders can now purchase tickets through smartphone app
Long Island Rail Road station at Greenport.
Riders of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) will no longer have to scramble to buy tickets at the station in the waning seconds before the doors to their train close.
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that starting today, the MTA’s eTix app is now available for all LIRR lines. The smartphone app allows riders to purchase tickets between any stations that can be scanned as a boarding ticket.
The app had previously been available for limited lines before today. Tickets purchased through the eTix app cost the same as those purchased at an LIRR station. The MTA says more than one ticket can be purchased at one time for people traveling in a group.
The app can also be used to check schedules and train service status.
The MTA said mobile tickets should be activated before boarding a train. Tickets can be purchased and stored on a smartphone through the app before expiring after the same duration as a paper ticket. For example, a one-way ticket would be valid for 60 days.
For riders who prefer to take a snooze on their trips, be prepared — a conductor will still need to validate the ticket.
The eTix unveiling came amid a larger announcement by Mr. Cuomo of the completion of new track laying between Central Islip and Ronkonkoma for the LIRR “Double Track” project. Work on the final phase of the project between Farmingdale and Central Islip is underway and scheduled to be completed in 2018.
