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%.
The region’s fixed-route system finished out the year with a total of 373.5 million rides. Adding 12.3 million rides over 2024 represents an increase that is equal to the annual transit ridership of Kansas City.
The priorities are outlined in the 2026 Board and CEO Initiatives and Action Plan, which serves as a roadmap to guide the agency’s work throughout the year and ensure continued progress and accountability on voter-approved transportation investments and essential mobility services.
In this edition, we cover recent appointments and announcements at HDR, MCTS, and more, showcasing the individuals helping to shape the future of transportation.
This final component of the 2 Line will cross Lake Washington and connect with the 1 Line at International District/Chinatown Station, creating a fully integrated regional light rail system.
Expected to enter service in 2029, these locomotives support the agency’s commitment to offer reliable and efficient rail transportation across South Florida.
