LIRR and Metro-North Carry Combined 460,000 Riders on Tuesday, June 20; Each Railroad Setting a Post-Pandemic Record
LIRR Record Day Follows Busiest Week Since the Pandemic, Carrying 1.37 Million Riders
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad each set post-pandemic ridership records on Tuesday, June 20, with the LIRR carrying 235,806 riders and Metro-North 224,371.
The record day for the LIRR followed its busiest week since the start of the pandemic, carrying 1.37 million riders for the week, including past ridership record days June 13 and June 14.
Metro-North had similar momentum leading up to its record day on June 20, in which the railroad carried 224,371 riders. The June 20 ridership record was a 4.5% improvement on Metro-North's previous pandemic era record of 214,621, set on May 23, 2023, an increase of nearly 10,000 riders. Leading up to this record, Metro-North had its second-best week in the last year, with 1.20 million riders last week.
“The railroads are heading into the summer on ridership highs, which is a vote of confidence from our customers,” said Metro-North Railroad President and LIRR Interim President Catherine Rinaldi. “Whether it’s more people returning to the office, trying to catch a baseball game after work, or heading to hundreds of other destinations throughout the region, people are choosing the railroad to get there.”
Since Grand Central Madison opened for full service on Feb. 27, 2023, the LIRR has carried at least 200,000 riders on 54 weekdays. Metro-North hit the 200,000-rider mark in a single day for the first time since the pandemic on May 11, 2023. Since then, Metro-North has carried at least 200,000 riders 15 additional times.