Metro-North, LIRR Mark On-Time Performance Milestones
The first two months of 2025 have seen exceptional service for Metro-North Railroad with an upward trajectory in both ridership and on-time performance, including a 100% on-time performance day across all three train lines earlier this month.
In January, 6.1 million people rode the LIRR — an increase of 617,096 customers, 11.2%, compared to January 2024 with commutation ridership up 8.4% and non-commutation ridership up 13.3% compared to last year.
Photo: Marc A. Hermann
3 min to read
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Metro-North Railroad trains are achieving significant milestones so far in 2025, with high on-time performance records and strong ridership gains, building on record service reliability documented in 2024.
The first two months of 2025 have seen exceptional service for Metro-North Railroad with an upward trajectory in both ridership and on-time performance, including a 100% on-time performance day across all three train lines on March 9 — the 21st time the railroad has reported 100% on-time performance since 2023.
Ad Loading...
Meanwhile, LIRR customers have seen record levels of on-time performance, with a 2025 year-to-date on-time performance of almost 97% — three percent above the established monthly goal and almost two percent over 2024’s record of 95.65% outside of COVID years.
“We are delivering a faster and consistently reliable mode of public transportation to riders with each milestone the commuter railroads achieve,” said Gov. Hochul. “New Yorkers know that they can depend on the Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road trains every single day — whether it’s for their daily commute to work, or for a trip to a different part of New York State.”
On-Time Performance Data
On-time performance (OTP) on Metro-North for the week of February 24 through March 2 was 99% — marking an improvement across all three lines and meaning that almost every single train was on time. This was the ninth time since 2023 that all three of the Metro-North lines operated at 99% or better OTP in the same week.
The numbers from the first two months of 2025 follow a remarkable year for the railroad in 2024 — a year that saw Metro-North’s OTP hit an all-time high, exceeding 98%.
The Metro-North also saw an average daily ridership of 176,414 passengers on the week of February 24 through March 2 — an increase of 13.8% from the previous week.
Ad Loading...
Meanwhile, LIRR set an all-time record in February of 96.4%.
In January, 6.1 million people rode the LIRR — an increase of 617,096 customers, 11.2%, compared to January 2024 with commutation ridership up 8.4% and non-commutation ridership up 13.3% compared to last year.
The LIRR is now carrying 85% of 2019 ridership with average Monday to Friday weekday ridership at 247,708. More than 1.4 million people rode the LIRR the week of February 24 through March 2.
On-time performance on Metro-North for the week of February 24 through March 2 was 99% — marking an improvement across all three lines and meaning that almost every single train was on time.
Photo: Marc A. Hermann
Ridership Achievements on Both Lines
There was also a strong rebound across several ridership categories.
Commutation ridership was up 17.1%, including a 17.1% increase for monthly ticket ridership and a 17.8% increase for weekly ticket ridership.
Ad Loading...
Single trip ticket ridership was up 8.7% overall, including a 24% increase in peak single ticket ridership.
Although off-peak single ticket ridership was down 3.4%, CityTicket — tickets good for one-way travel that begins and ends within New York City — ridership increased 15.8%.
Amtrak will open grant applications March 23 for community projects near the Frederick Douglass Tunnel alignment in Baltimore as part of a $50 million investment tied to the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program.
The Denmark Station $2.3 million construction investment project includes a new 280-foot concrete boarding platform, built eight inches above the top of rail, for improved accessibility for passengers with disabilities and families with small children and much more.
Caltrain and its partners have implemented safety improvements at specific locations in response to known risk conditions, operational needs, and available funding since the agency’s founding.
On a recent episode of METROspectives, METRO Magazine’s Executive Editor Alex Roman sat down with Ana-Maria Tomlinson, Director of Strategic & Cross-Sector Programs at the CSA Group, to explore a bold initiative aimed at addressing those challenges: the development of a National Code for Transit and Passenger Rail Systems in Canada.
Competitive FTA grants will support accessibility upgrades, family-friendly improvements, and cost-efficient capital projects at some of the nation’s oldest and busiest transit hubs.
The 3.92-mile addition will soon take riders west beyond its current Wilshire and Western station in Koreatown, continuing under Wilshire Boulevard through neighborhoods and communities including Hancock Park, Windsor Square, the Fairfax District, and Carthay Circle into Beverly Hills.
Under the plan, all long-distance routes will transition to a universal single-level fleet, replacing today’s mix of bi-level and single-level equipment.
