LIRR To Provide Extra Service For Belmont Stakes
The excitement for the Belmont Stakes is in the air. Will Calvin Borel be able to pull off the Jockey Triple Crown? Well the best way to find out is to be at Belmont Park for this huge day of racing. The best way to get there is by public transportation, more specifically the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) which will be providing extra service for the day. Here are the complete details courtesy of an e-mailed press release:
MTA Long Island Rail Road train service to Belmont Park is up and running again – just in time for the big race, the Belmont Stakes, on Saturday, June 6. There will be additional trains to and from Belmont for this 141st running of this historic race. The LIRR will operate 18 trains to Belmont, most direct from Penn Station ( a 36 minute ride), between 9:59 AM and 4:10 PM. There will also be frequent westbound service back to Jamaica and Penn Station starting at 4:06 PM and continuing until 9 PM.
“Leave your car at home and avoid the hassle of traffic and parking. There is no better way to travel to Belmont on Stakes Day than the LIRR,” said Railroad President Helena Williams. “We are just delighted to be offering our service to Belmont Park again, especially for the big racing event this Saturday. As we do every year, the LIRR will carry thousands of racing enthusiasts to the race track and home again.”
Williams thanked Gov. David A. Paterson and the leaders of the state Legislature, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith of Queens and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver of Manhattan for crafting a funding package for the MTA that allowed the LIRR to restore its daily service to Belmont Park.
The MTA Police will again be enforcing a no alcohol policy on trains to Belmont Park. Bags and coolers are subject to search prior to boarding Belmont Park trains at Penn Station and at Jamaica Station. On Belmont Stakes Day, no alcoholic beverages of any kind will be permitted to be brought into Belmont Park. The restriction regarding alcohol has been enacted in the interest of patron safety and in an attempt to make sure that people drink responsibly. First race post time on Stakes Day is 11:35 a.m.
Williams urged racing enthusiasts to consider staying at Belmont for the two races following the Stakes race to avoid congestion at the LIRR Belmont Station as fans head for home.
“The LIRR will not leave without you,” said Williams. “Trains will continue to depart from Belmont until 9 PM or when all customers are accommodated.”
When leaving Belmont Park, the LIRR wants to ensure the safe and orderly boarding of trains. So, MTA Police will set up a train queuing system. LIRR personnel will be assigned to key locations to assist customers. Public address announcers will provide customers with train departure information. Wait times can range from 15 minutes to 2 hours. Once inside the queuing area, customers can expect wait times of 15-to-60 minutes. Customers waiting to enter the queuing area can expect longer wait time for trains, possibly up to 2 hours.
Please remember to be careful when boarding and exiting trains at Belmont.
Round trip LIRR Belmont package tickets should be purchased at ticket windows or from ticket machines prior to boarding the train. The round-trip fare from Penn Station is $11; from Jamaica, $8. The one-way fare from Penn Station and Woodside is $6; from Jamaica, $5. On Stakes Day, Belmont package tickets will not be sold on-board the train. Package tickets from Brooklyn and Woodside are also available with connections in Jamaica for trains to Belmont.
Only Belmont Park tickets will be accepted for train service to and from Belmont Park. CityTicket, Monthly, Weekly and Ten-Trip Tickets are not valid on Belmont Park trains. Weekly and Monthly ticket holders can use their commuter tickets for travel to and from Jamaica, but must purchase a Belmont Park ticket prior to boarding at Jamaica to cover the fare between Jamaica and Belmont Park.
Round-trip fares from Long Island to Belmont, with a transfer at Jamaica are:
Zone 3 (Rosedale, St. Albans, Queens Village, Hollis): $8
Zone 4 (Far Rockaway, Lynbrook, Hempstead, Mineola ): $9.75
Zone 7 (Long Beach, Massapequa, Hicksville, Oyster Bay): $11.50
Zone 9 (Babylon, Deer Park, Huntington, Northport): $14.50
Zone 10 (Bay Shore, Sayville, Ronkonkoma, Patchogue, Port Jefferson): $17.75
Belmont Park tickets are available for purchase at the gray LIRR Full Service Ticket Machines and the blue Card Only Full service Ticket Vending Machines by pressing the “Getaways/Packages” button on the first screen, selecting “Belmont Park”, then paying with cash, ATM/debit or credit cards.
Special admission prices are in effect at Belmont Park for Stakes Day only. General Admission is $10 and Clubhouse admission is $20. The $1 discount grandstand admission that is available to LIRR customers on regular race days will NOT apply for Stakes Day.
Belmont Stakes Service from Penn Station:
• 9:59 AM, stopping at Jamaica 10:18, arriving Belmont 10:32 AM.
• 10:07 AM, stopping at Jamaica 10:29 arriving Belmont 10:44 AM.
• 10:29 AM, stopping at Jamaica 10:50, arriving Belmont 11:06 AM.
• 10:55 AM, stopping at Jamaica 11:15, arriving Belmont 11:32 AM.
• 11:01 AM, stopping at Jamaica 11:21, arriving Belmont 11:37 AM.
• 11:29 AM, stopping at Jamaica 11:49, arriving Belmont 12:03 PM.
• 11:37 AM, stopping at Jamaica 12:00 PM, arriving Belmont 12:16 PM.
• 11:57 AM, stopping at Jamaica 12:17 , arriving Belmont 12:31 PM.
• 12:27 PM, stopping at Jamaica 12:47, arriving Belmont 1:01 PM.
• 12:33 PM, stopping at Jamaica 12:53, arriving Belmont 1:07 PM.
• 12:37 PM, stopping at Jamaica 12:58, arriving Belmont 1:12 PM.
• 1:05 PM, stopping at Jamaica 1:27, arriving Belmont 1:40 PM.
• 1:33 PM, stopping at Jamaica 1:54, arriving Belmont 2:10 PM
• 2:37 PM, stopping at Jamaica 2:59, arriving Belmont 3:15 PM.
• 2:55 PM, stopping at Jamaica 3:17, arriving Belmont 3:33 PM.
• 3:27 PM, stopping at Jamaica 3:46 PM, arriving Belmont 4:00 PM.
• 3:45 PM, change at Jamaica 4:06 PM, arriving Belmont 4:23 PM.
• 4:10 PM, change at Jamaica 4:23 PM, arriving Belmont 4:54 PM.
Customers traveling from Woodside, Flatbush Avenue, Nostrand Avenue and East New York, as well as from stations in Nassau and Suffolk can connect with Belmont trains at Jamaica. Customers may consult the special LIRR Belmont Stakes timetable available at stations, or the LIRR’s website at www.mta.info for full Belmont Stakes train schedules.
For the return trip, trains will department Belmont beginning at 4:06 PM, then 4:41 PM, 5:09 PM, 5:49 PM and then approximately every 15 minutes from 6:30 PM to 9 PM to Jamaica, Brooklyn and Penn Station.
Accessibility:
Belmont is a special event station and therefore services are limited. The station is not wheelchair accessible, and there are no elevators and only limited escalator service. It is necessary to use a staircase to and from most train platforms.
For additional information, racing fans can contact the LIRR’s 24-hour Travel Information Center in New York City at 718-217-LIRR, in Suffolk County at 631-231-LIRR, or in Nassau County at 516-822-LIRR. The Travel Information Center’s TDD number for the hearing impaired is 718-558-3022. Customers may also consult the LIRR’s website at www.mta.info. For information on races and admission to Belmont Park, pleased call 516-488-6000, ext. 4306 or www.nyra.com.
P.S. Don’t bet “Mine That Bird” as I guarantee that he will not win the Belmont Stakes.
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