LIRR & MNR Thanksgiving Service 2025

During the busiest travel period of the year, Thanksgiving weekend, both the LIRR and Metro-North both are stuffed up with extra trains operating for various proposes, from serving as early getaway trains on Thanksgiving Eve to transporting people to the Macy’s Thanksgiving day Parade.

This year, which is expected to be a busy one, both the LIRR and MNR will be providing a host of extra trains throughout the weekend. 

Thanksgiving Eve - November 26 

On Thanksgiving Eve, the LIRR will operate on a normal weekday schedule. Train 14 (the 4:07pm from Penn Station to Montauk) will operate.

Metro-North will combine or outright annull a couple of trains (particularly express trains) during the both the morning and evening rush hours. 

They will also provide a couple of additional mid-morning departures into Grand Central on the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines to accommodate those traveling into the city for leisure purposes.

Thanksgiving Day - November 27 

On the Babylon Branch, the LIRR will provide 3 additional westbound trains to the parade: 

• A 6:33am local from Babylon to Penn Station, making all stops through Rockville Centre, Jamaica, and Penn Station. 
• A 6:54am local from Babylon to Grand Central, making all stops through Lynbrook, Jamaica, and Grand Central.
• A 7:25am local from Babylon to Penn Station, making all stops through Rockville Centre, Jamaica, and Penn Station.

On the Ronkonkoma Branch, the LIRR will also provide 3 westbound trains getting people into Manhattan:

• A 6:14am train from Ronkonkoma to Penn Station, making all local stops to Hicksville, Mineola, Jamaica, and Penn Station.
• A 6:56am train from Ronkonkoma to Grand Central, making all local stops to Hicksville, Mineola, Jamaica, and Grand Central.
• A 7:01am local from Farmingdale to Penn Station, making all local stops through New Hyde Park, Jamaica, and Penn Station.

Heading back out to Long Island after the parade, 

Heading eastbound on the Ronkonkoma Branch, the LIRR will provide 4 additional eastbounds.

• A 11:17am train from Penn Station to Farmingdale, stopping at Jamaica, New Hyde Park, and local stops to Farmingdale. 
• A 12:13pm train from Grand Central to Ronkonkoma, stopping at Jamaica, MIneola, Hicksville, and all stops to Ronkonkoma.
• A 12:30pm train from Grand Central to Ronkonkoma, stopping at Jamaica, Mineola, Hicksville, and then all local stops to Ronkonkoma.
• A 12:47pm train from Penn Station to Ronkonkoma, stopping at Jamaica, Mineola, Hicksville, and then all local stops from Ronkonkoma

On the Babylon Branch,

• A 12:24pm local from Grand Central to Babylon, stopping at Jamaica, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, and all local stops to Babylon
• A 12:51pm local from Grand Central to Babylon, stopping at Jamaica, Rockville Centre, and all local stops to Ronkonkoma
  

Finally, the LIRR will provide one additional train heading eastbound to Huntington 

• An 11:53am local from Grand Central to Huntington, stopping at Jamaica, and all stops from New Hyde Park through Huntington

Metro-North 

On the Hudson Line, Metro-North will provide a couple of additional trains into Manhattan for the parade: 

• A 4:54am train from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central, making all local stops to Croton-Harmon, Ossining, Tarrytown, Harlem-125 St, and Grand Central

• A 5:24am train from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central, making all local stops to Croton-Harmon, Ossining, Tarrytown, Harlem-125 St, and Grand Central

• A 6:24am train from Poughkeepsie to Grand Central, making all local stops to Croton-Harmon, Ossining, Tarrytown, Harlem-125 St, and Grand Central

On the Danbury Branch, Metro-North will provide two direct one-seat rides into Manhattan and back out after the parade: 

• A 6:08am train from Danbury to Grand Central, making all local stops to Stamford, Harlem-125 St, and Grand Central

• A 12:19pm train from Grand Central to Danbury, making Harlem-125 St, Stamford, and all local stops to Danbury

Black Friday - November 28 

On Black Friday (aka the day after Thanksgiving), the LIRR will operate on a normal weekday schedule. Train 14 (the 4:07pm from Penn Station to Montauk) will operate.

Metro-North will operate on a WEEKEND schedule with a couple of trains added in for those souls who must commute into the city during the regular peak hours.

They will also provide a couple of additional mid-morning departures into Grand Central on the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven lines to accommodate those traveling into the city for leisure purposes.

Saturday & Sunday - November 29 and 30

Both the LIRR & Metro-North will operate on a normal weekend schedule. Metro-North will operate the hourly New Haven Line "shoppers specials" that run into New York in the morning and back out to New Haven in the evening and run express from Harlem-125 St to Westport before making limited stops.

If your travelling this Thanksgiving, try taking the train. Thanksgiving is already the busiest travel period of the year and this is expected to be one of the busiest years for travel ever. Traffic will be at it's worst so it's a great time to try the train.