With the opening of Grand Central Madison, direct transfers between Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad trains are now possible. To make those connections easier, we're introducing a new ticket: the Combo Ticket.
The Combo Ticket makes traveling between LIRR and Metro-North stations easier, cheaper, and more accessible. You can start a trip on one railroad and transfer to the other railroad at Grand Central for a flat $8 fee. From there, you can travel anywhere in that system.
How it works: If you plan a trip that starts on Metro-North in Beacon and ends on LIRR in Long Beach, you’ll pay the off-peak fare for the first leg of the trip — Beacon to Grand Central — plus an additional $8 for the rest of your trip to Long Beach. The farther you travel, the more you’ll save.
You can buy the Combo Ticket at a ticket office, from a ticket vending machine, or in the TrainTime app on your mobile device.
Combo Ticket pricing and validity
A one-way Combo Ticket costs $8 more than an adult off-peak ticket from your origin station to Grand Central. It’s valid on both peak and off-peak trains.
You can use a Combo Ticket to travel to Grand Central and then ride any train to any station on the other railroad. You must complete your entire trip by 4 a.m. on the day after you purchase it.
How to buy a Combo Ticket
If you use a ticket vending machine, the Combo Ticket will show up as a separate ticket type. You will enter your origin station and choose Grand Central as your destination. Be sure to take your ticket with you when you leave your origin train — you’ll need to show it to the conductor on your next train. Please note that you can only buy a Combo Ticket that begins on Metro-North at Metro-North stations, and at LIRR stations for trips that begin on LIRR.
In the TrainTime app, you can buy tickets in two ways: under the “Tickets” tab, or after you’ve planned a trip.
- In the Tickets tab, enter an origin station on either LIRR or Metro-North, and a destination station on the other railroad. If the Combo Ticket is available for your trip, you will see the option to purchase it.
- In the Trips tab, plan a trip with an origin station on either LIRR or Metro-North, and a destination station on the other railroad. Select which trains you would like to take. Once you’re taken to the “Trip Details” screen, you’ll see a “Buy” button; if the Combo Ticket is the best deal for your trip, you will see the option to purchase it.
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Tips for using Combo Ticket
Combo Tickets cannot be purchased in Manhattan. They also cannot be bought onboard trains.
Combo Ticket is not valid to or from Metro-North stations west of the Hudson River.
If your destination is within New York City, consider buying a CityTicket for $5 to travel from Grand Central to your destination. Each CityTicket is good for one-way travel during off-peak hours that begins and ends within New York City. You can buy a CityTicket at a ticket office, a ticket machine, or in the TrainTime app.