Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)

The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) is the busiest commuter railroad in North America. The LIRR operates on the NEC Main Line between Harold Interlocking in Queens and New York Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan. Trains from ten of the LIRR’s eleven branch lines utilize the NEC to provide riders with direct service to and from NY Penn Station, the busiest passenger rail station in the United States. In fact, more than 400 daily weekday LIRR trains originate or terminate at NY Penn Station. Additionally, some LIRR trains use the NEC at Harold Interlocking to access Grand Central Madison on the East Side of Manhattan.

Long Island Rail Road System-Wide

126

STATIONS

11
LINES
101M

ANNUAL TRIPS

50%of all LIRR trains use the NEC
79%of all LIRR trips are on the NEC

Trips and Scheduled Trains on the NEC

FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25
LIRR weekday trips on the NEC 198,000 217,000 241,000 259,000
LIRR weekday scheduled trains on the NEC 421 450 469 467

 

Train Operations & Performance

FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25
Percentage of scheduled LIRR trains late, annulled, or terminated on the NEC 3.8% 6.7% 5.6% 4.5%

For more information on LIRR and train performance on the NEC, please read the NEC Annual Report.

Information last updated April 2026.