LIRR Ticket Issuing Machines Pilot

MTA Long Island Rail Road is launching a pilot program using wireless, hand-held Ticket Issuing Machines (TIMS) that will allow customers to purchase tickets on board trains with all major credit cards and with a 'debit-as-credit' card, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

Beginning August 16, LIRR conductors assigned to trains running between Ronkonkoma and Greenport will be carrying an Apple iPhone 4 equipped with a PaySaber cradle device that uses an application designed by the LIRR that enables train crews to make credit card sales and 'debit-as-credit' sales and print out tickets in one easy transaction. The device will be used to process onboard cash sales as well during the pilot program.

To save time and avoid higher, onboard fares, the LIRR urges customers to purchase tickets in advance at station Ticket Windows or Ticket Machines.

Customers who opt to buy tickets onboard will still be required to pay an extra fee of up to $6.50 per ticket if they board at a station which has a ticket machine and/or a ticket window that is open. In situations where a customer must buy on board the train and isn't carrying sufficient cash, making a ticket purchase with a credit card or debit-as-credit card will be an added convenience.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• mta
• nyc
• lirr
• train
• railroad
• greenport
• ronkonkoma
• ticket
• ticket issuing machine
• long island rail road
• transit
• transportation
• technology

[DrSurprise]

This program sounds interesting being how it seems conductors will no longer have to give you those long tickets that require the conductor to punch hole the needed squares on the ticket. What also seems interesting is the fact there are M1 trains at Riverhead and that section of track isn't electrified.

[THeTransitGeek1112]

I rode the LIRR a week ago. i'm guessing they did not implement the Ticket Issuing Machine(TIMs)

[WAKEUPshift111]

Going through these comments its easy to see that Nyers are just as frustrated as I am... this city is just as corrupt as it was in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

[WAKEUPshift111]

Ok, Now lets work on the On Board train prices... shouldn't cost $15 from manhattan to Jamaica... a 25 min train ride.

[oliver18754]

How about implementing such technology on all LIRR routes? Or have people use their credit card or a RFID card system to charge your card when it gets detected? For LIRR, PATH, and Metro North, make a payment system that would also eliminate the ticket stampers, making it easy to pay for tickets while saving paper (on ticket making) and saving tax dollars eliminating need of ticket stampers?

[Acela150Kid]

$6.50??? That's Ridiculous! In Philly it used to be $2 but now conductors just don't care and don't charge it or have been told to forget the fee. On NJT it's $5. But $6.50 is way too much! Other then that great idea I wish other Rail Lines would think of this.

[nyhtml]

@BMT7thAvenueExpress Other customers on the train would inform on you.

[pweiss1983]

That conductor gets paid anywhere from 60k to 100k per year - just for collecting tickets and opening doors. If the lirr wants to drum up more revenue - lay off the conductors.

[LIRR175]

@BMT7thAvenueExpress Not really. They check tickets after Ronkonkoma, Medford also has TVM's as backup.

BUT, if this system is expanded to other trains, there may be an issue with zone boundaries and Pinelawn.

[BMT7thAvenueExpress]

what if you lie about where you got on? you can get a cheaper ticket