Thanksgiving NYC Subway Service: What You Need To Know

NEW YORK, NY — The days leading up to and during the Thanksgiving holiday are some of the busiest travel days of the year, especially for mass transit. This year, the MTA will implement a number of service changes on commuter rails and city subways and buses to make the movement of millions between the city and suburbs as smooth as possible.

"The MTA moves 8.5 million people on a normal weekday, and we’re preparing to handle new customers at new times throughout the coming weekend," MTA Chairman and CEO Patrick Foye said in a statement.

Different service changes will be in effect throughout the Thanksgiving holiday. On Wednesday, the MTA will offer more commuter service heading out of the city to meet demand and on Thanksgiving Day most of the changes will focus around the city's annual parade.

Check out the full range of service changes below.

Wednesday, Nov. 27:

Thanksgiving Eve puts a strain on the city's commuter rail lines. In 2018, the Long Island Rail Road shuttler 109,125 passengers out of Penn Station between the hours of noon and 8 p.m., a 21% increase compared to a regular weekday. Numbers were similar on the Metro-North Railroad with 100,275 heading out of Grand Central Terminal, a 17% increase.

To accommodate the crowds, the LIRR will run 12 extra trains departing Penn Station between 12:45 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. and the Metro-North will run 18 getaway trains departing Grand Central Terminal between 12:45 p.m. and 4:15 p.m.

Some Metro-North evening trains may be canceled or combined due to the mid-day rush.

The Staten Island Railway will also run extra trains on Wednesday starting at 2:30 p.m. from the St. George Ferry Terminal. One express train and one local will await every ferry entering the Island until 7:50 p.m., according to the MTA.

Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28:

Thanksgiving Day service changes revolve around inner city mass transit such as buses and subways. A large portion of the city will be shut down to car traffic and heavily congested due to the annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, so the MTA advises using subways and buses to get around.

Passengers trying to get to the parade route should take the 1/2/3 to 72nd Street, the C to 81s Street or the 1/A/C/D to 59th Street-Columbus Circle. The MTA will increase service on the 42nd Street Shuttle and the 1 line due to expected congestion.

Commuter lines will also run extra trains on Thursday for those coming into the city for the parade, and leaving when the festivities are finished. Six extra westbound trains will run from Long Island to the city between 6 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. and 11 extra trains will depart Penn Station between 11 a.m. and 1:35 p.m.

New Yorkers who celebrate Thanksgiving out on Long Island can also take advantage of extra trains heading into the city at night.

Black Friday, Nov. 29:

Most commuter lines, subways and buses will run on a weekend schedule with some modifications. A number of bus lines on Staten Island and Queens will not run, so bus passengers should check the MTA website before planning their trips.

Metro-North will run extra New York City-bound trains in the morning and north-bound trains in the evening to accommodate Black Friday shoppers and retail workers.

Off-peak fares will apply to all LIRR rides on Black Friday.

Saturday, Nov. 30 and Sunday, Dec. 1:

Commuter rails, subways and buses will run on a normal weekend schedule.