The Long Island Rail Road is a historic commuter rail network operating in New York, extending from Manhattan to eastern Suffolk County on Long Island.
Last Updated: 40 seconds (53 Trains)Below is a map of trains in the Long Island Railroad network and their current positions. Click the train icon for more information. Data is updated every minute.
Here's a list of all the currently active trains in the Long Island Railroad network.
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The Long Island Rail Road, one of the oldest railways in the United States, was initially planned as the Brooklyn and Jamaica Rail Road to connect Brooklyn with Jamaica, Queens. Chartered in 1834, its early aim was to provide a faster route between New York and Boston via a ferry from Greenport. The first section between Brooklyn and Jamaica opened in 1836, and the line extended eastward to Greenport by 1844. Today, it serves as a major commuter rail network, owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), connecting 124 stations along over 700 miles of track and catering to approximately 81 million commuters annually.
The LIRR began as a vision to out-compete other routes to Boston, capitalizing on Long Island's geography. However, by the 1840s, it faced challenges from competing lines and overestimated ridership. The opening of a rival route in Connecticut in 1848 led to a refocus on local services, and by the 1850s, the LIRR expanded to serve more densely populated areas of Long Island. The late 19th century saw the LIRR bought by the Pennsylvania Railroad, which modernized it extensively, including electrification. However, post-World War II, increased competition from automobiles led to a decline in ridership and eventual bankruptcy in 1949. Acquired by the MTA in 1965, the LIRR has since seen a resurgence, expanding and modernizing its services to become the busiest commuter railroad in the country. Throughout its history of over 185 years, it has retained its original name, marking its significance in the U.S. railroad industry.