Horse racing enthusiasts heading out to the spring racing season at /*Belmont Park*/ on Long Island are once again able to use mass transit to get to the track.
/*Long Island Rail Road*/ officials are announcing an agreement with the /*New York Racing Association*/ that will provide train service to the track in /*Elmont*/. The NYRA is subsidizing the costs of the service The LIRR eliminated Belmont stops last year to contend with budget shortfalls. It cost $112,000 to operate the service in 2009.
An NYRA spokesman declined to say how much it is paying the LIRR for the service, which runs to July 17.
Attendance dropped to 418,000 people last year at Belmont, the lowest in a decade.
Racing begins Friday.
LIRR Service to Belmont Park:
Trains to and from Belmont Park will run at the following times.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
Eastbound
Westbound
Saturday, Sunday & Holidays
Eastbound
Westbound
The LIRR will provide extra train service for the Belmont Stakes on Saturday, June 11.
Belmont Package tickets are also available at LIRR Touch Screen ticket machines at stations - just press the "Deals & Getaways" button on the first screen; then select "Belmont Park." Payment can be made with cash, ATM/Debit or Credit Cards. The LIRR ticket office at its Belmont station is closed and there are no ticket machines at Belmont.
Weekly and monthly ticket holders can use their tickets for travel to Jamaica and need only purchase a $10 round-trip package ticket at an LIRR station prior to boarding the Belmont Special to cover the fare between Belmont Park and Jamaica. Round-trip tickets are not sold on-board trains.
One-way tickets for travel between Jamaica and Belmont, sold on trains to use in conjunction with a monthly or weekly ticket, are $13. A one-way ticket from Jamaica to Belmont, purchased at an LIRR station to use in conjunction with a monthly or weekly ticket, is $6.
To avoid higher on-board fares and save time, customers should purchase round-trip tickets in advance. (Please note: CityTicket is not valid for travel to or from Belmont Park.)
LIRR Train Fares to Belmont Park By Zone:
From New York, Brooklyn, and Woodside:
Purchased at Station: One Way - $7.00 / Round-trip- $13.00
Purchased On-Board Train: One Way- $14.00 / Round-trip - Not sold on train
From Jamaica
Purchased at Station: One Way - $6.00 / Round-trip- $10.00
Purchased On-Board Train: One Way - $13.00 / Round-trip - Not sold on train
Round-trip fares from Long Island with transfer at Jamaica:
Zone 3 - $10.00 (Rosedale, St. Albans, Queens Village, Hollis)
Zone 4 - $12.00 (Far Rockaway, Lynbrook, Hempstead, Mineola)
Zone 7 - $14.00 (Long Beach, Massapequa, Hicksville, Oyster Bay)
Zone 9 - $17.00 (Babylon, Deer Park, Huntington, Northport)
Zone 10 - $22.00 (Bay Shore, Sayville, Ronkonkoma, Patchogue, Port Jefferson)
For additional information, racing fans can contact the LIRR's Travel Information Center at 718-217-5477 (718-217-LIRR). If you are deaf or hard of hearing, use your preferred relay service provider or the free 711 relay to reach LIRR at 718-217-5477. Customers can also consult the LIRR's website at www.mta.info.
