The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced that trains and buses will operate on special schedules between Dec. 21 and Dec. 25 in association with the Christmas holiday period.

The MTA celebrates the holiday season each year with its “Shoppers Special” vintage subway train, which will run up the Sixth Avenue  line from 2 Av on the  line to Rockefeller Center, then up the Central Park West  line to 125 St this holiday season. This special train of subway cars from the 1930s runs every Sunday between Nov. 25 to Dec. 30. The first run of each Sunday departs at 10 a.m. from 2 Av and the last run of the day departs at 5 p.m. from 125 St. 

Vintage buses will be in service on the M42 bus route, traveling both eastbound and westbound along 42nd Street in Manhattan. Additional vintage buses will be available to board and explore at Union Square and Herald Square from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m. today, Thursday, Dec. 20, and tomorrow, Friday, Dec. 21.

 

 

Holiday service details follow for each MTA service, organized by day. Additional details on Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad service changes are available in the attached press releases from each railroad.

 

 

The Long Island Rail Road will be on a regular weekday schedule with 13 additional trains departing Penn Station between 12:46 p.m. and 3:48 p.m. For additional details please see the attached press release from the Long Island Rail Road.

 

Metro-North will be on a regular weekday schedule with 18 additional early getaway trains departing Grand Central Terminal between 12:58 p.m. and 4:11 p.m. In anticipation of lower ridership after 5 p.m. and to accommodate the early getaways, there will be reduced p.m. peak service after 5 p.m., with some train combinations and cancellations. All changes are posted in the Train Time app and in the Sept. 30 public timetables. Early getaway trains will also operate on both the Port Jervis Line and Pascack Valley Line.  For details, please see the attached press release from Metro-North Railroad.

 

Staten Island Railway (SIR) customers looking to get a head start on the Christmas holiday will be able to catch earlier afternoon express train service on Friday, Dec. 21, with MTA Staten Island Railway’s Early Departure Getaway schedule. Extra SIR trains will be added earlier in the afternoon beginning at 2:30 p.m. from the St. George Ferry Terminal. There will be one express train and one local train awaiting every boat until 7:50 p.m. This early departure schedule will also be available on Friday, Dec. 28, and Monday, Dec. 31, for customers getting a head start on their New Year’s Eve plans.

 

 

Metro-North’s East of Hudson service will operate a regular Saturday schedule supplemented with additional service. The Long Island Rail Road will be on a regular weekday schedule with 13 additional trains departing Penn Station between 12:46 p.m. and 3:48 p.m. 

 

For additional details on Metro-North and LIRR service, please see the attached press releases from each railroad.

 

Staten Island Railway (SIR) customers looking to get a head start on the Christmas holiday will again be able to catch earlier afternoon express train service on Monday, Dec. 24, with MTA Staten Island Railway’s Early Departure Getaway schedule. Extra SIR trains will be added earlier in the afternoon beginning at 2:30 p.m. from the St. George Ferry Terminal.  There will be one express train and one local train awaiting every boat until 7:50 p.m. This early departure schedule will also be available on Friday, Dec. 28, and Monday, Dec. 31, for customers getting a head start on their New Year’s Eve plans. 

 

 

The New York City Subway will operate on a Sunday schedule. Some subway lines do not run on weekends, and customers are advised to allow additional travel time.  There will be no  express service.  trains will not run; customers are encouraged to use the  and/or  instead. For up-to-date travel information, customers should check our website at www.mta.info for Current Service Status, or use to TripPlanner+ or the MYmta smartphone app to plan their trips. 

 

New York City buses will operate on a Sunday schedule. As a reminder, there are many routes that either do not operate on a Sunday or do not run on part of the route at certain hours. Customers using bus routes in the five boroughs can use MTA Bus Time or the MYmta smartphone app to track real-time bus positions and gauge arrival times. 

 

The LIRR will operate on a regular weekend/holiday schedule. Metro-North Railroad’s East of Hudson lines will operate a special holiday schedule with hourly service on most line segments, and regular weekend service on all branch lines.

 

For additional details on LIRR and Metro-North services, please see the attached press releases from each railroad.

 

 

Metro-North will provide a weekday schedule with additional trains to Grand Central Terminal on all East of Hudson lines during our heaviest travel times (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.). With lighter ridership during the peak periods this week, some morning rush hour trains are canceled or combined to free up trains and crews for these additional trains.