Elmont, NY - May 1st, 2014 - Exciting races, family picnicking and the Long Island Rail Road make for the perfect trifecta at Belmont Park’s spring meet which runs from May 1 through July 13. LIRR service to the newly improved venue starts again on Thursday, May 1st in time for the park’s opening day. And customers get $1 off the $3 Grandstand admission when they show their rail ticket.
And according to the NYRA, starting Opening Day guests will be greeted by a wide array of improvements, including 131 new HD televisions throughout the facility, a modernized Belmont café and a new backyard music stage.
Families can also enjoy the popular “Breakfast at Belmont” program available every weekend and holiday during the meet, with the exception of Belmont Stakes weekend.
The first LIRR’s Belmont Special will leave Penn Station at 10:58 a.m. making stops at Woodside at 11:10 a.m. and Jamaica at 11:19 a.m., arriving at the track at 11:33 a.m. A second train leaves Penn Station at 11:40 a.m., stopping at Woodside at 11:51 a.m. and Jamaica at 12:01 p.m. where all customers will change trains, arriving at Belmont Park at 12:33 p.m. Customers coming from Brooklyn can catch those trains at Jamaica by taking either the 10:35 a.m. or 11:35 a.m. trains from Atlantic Terminal. The Brooklyn trains will also stop at Nostrand Avenue and East New York stations. At the end of each racing day, trains will depart Belmont Park at 3:42 p.m. and approximately 30 minutes after the last race. This schedule applies to all Wednesday, Thursdays and Fridays.
On Saturdays, Sundays and holidays the first train departs from Penn Station at 11:04 a.m., stopping at Woodside at 11:16 a.m. and Jamaica at 11:27 a.m., arriving at the track at 11:41 a.m. A second train leaves Penn at 11:51 a.m., stops at Woodside at 12:03 p.m. and Jamaica at 12:12 p.m. where all customers will change trains, arriving at Belmont Park at 12:41 p.m. Customers coming from Brooklyn can take the 10:45 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. trains from Atlantic Terminal and connect with the train at Jamaica. The Brooklyn trains will also stop at Nostrand Avenue and East New York stations. At the end of each racing day, trains will depart Belmont Park at 4:41 p.m. and approximately 30 minutes after the last race.
Visit the official LIRR Page for more train info. Please note that the current timetables will be in effect until May 18. LIRR timetables change on May 19 which will cover the remainder of the service for the Belmont Spring Meet which ends on July 13.
First race post time is 1:20 p.m. starting Thursday, May 1. Post time for May 3 and May 17 is 12:00 p.m. There is no racing Mondays and Tuesdays, except Memorial Day, May 26. There is no racing on May 28.
Party at the Park returns for four Fridays beginning June 20 (June 27, July 4 and 11) with a special first race post time of 3 p.m. and a party that includes food and drink specials along with a live concert.
This year, the 146th running of the Belmont Stakes will be held on June 7. The $1.5 million stakes is the oldest and longest leg of thoroughbred racing’s Triple Crown. The LIRR will provide extra train service for the event. General admission that day is $10. Clubhouse admission is $30. The $1 discount offer will not apply.
The LIRR-NYRA partnership calls for the racing agency to subsidize the cost of operating the LIRR Belmont service so that it is a break-even proposition for the railroad.
Train Fares to Belmont Park by Zone
- From New York, Brooklyn, and Woodside
- Purchased at Station: One Way - $8.00 / Round-trip- $14.00
- Purchased On-Board Train: One Way- $14.00 / Round-trip - not sold on train
From Jamaica
- Purchased at Station: One Way - $7.00 / Round-trip- $11.00
- Purchased On-Board Train: One Way - $12.00 / Round-trip - not sold on train
- Round-trip Package Fares from Long Island (not valid on peak trains)
- Zone 3 (Rosedale, St Albans, Queens Village, Hollis) - $11
- Zone 4 (Far Rockaway, Lynbrook, Hempstead, Mineola) - $13
- Zone 7 (Long Beach, Massapequa, Hicksville, Oyster Bay) - $15
- Zone 9 (Babylon, Deer Park, Huntington, Northport) - $18
- Zone 10 (Bay Shore, Sayville, Ronkonkoma, Patchogue, Pt. Jefferson) - $24
Accessibility
The LIRR’s Belmont 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 More Information
For additional information, racing fans can contact the LIRR's Travel Information Center by calling 511, say: Long Island Rail Road. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, use your preferred relay service provider for the free 711 relay to reach LIRR at 511. Customers can also consult the MTA website at www.mta.info/lirr. For information on races and admission to Belmont Park, call 516-488-6000 or visit NYRA's website at www.nyra.com.