New, Updated Ticket Kiosks, New Fares, New Fees, And New Ticket Classes Arriving At Metro-North Stations

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Improvements will streamline the commute for Metro-North riders, but there will be some price hikes along the way as well.

The MTA is rolling out new ticket vending machines equipped with new features intended to improve the customer experience. The new kiosks are now in service at both LIRR and Metro-North stations. The machines started appearing at stations at Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road stations in mid-October. The new kiosks are expected to fully replace the old kiosks by the middle of next year.

The new kiosks sell each railroad's tickets, giving riders the ability to purchase a ticket from a Long Island Rail Road station to a Metro-North station and vice versa. Riders have the option to scan the barcode of a previously purchased ticket to pull up a similar ticket purchase again. And perhaps most importantly, change is now offered in bills, instead of all coins. The machines offer nine languages plus English (up from the three languages previously offered).

"The MTA is a true regional rail system and these new TVM's make it easier for riders to purchase tickets to any Metro-North or Long Island destination," Metro-North Railroad President Justin Vonashek said. "All of the Railroads' new fare options will be available in these machines after the new year, making MTA riders' trips even faster and smoother than ever."

For nearly 25 years, the legacy TVMs have been the backbone of fare payment, generating about 30 percent of all ticket sales systemwide, according to the MTA.

While the new kiosks have already started rolling out at Metro-North stations, fare and fee changes won't begin until Jan 4. Monthly and weekly tickets will increase up to 4.5 percent across Metro-North. The MTA points out that even with the increase, monthly ticket prices will remain lower than they were pre-COVID and will not exceed $500. All other ticket types will increase up to 8 percent.

Peak CityTicket will increase from $7 to $7.25 and Off-Peak CityTicket will increase from $5 to $5.25. All one-way tickets in the city zones will match CityTicket prices, so no customer will pay more than $7.25 in the peak or $5.25 in the off-peak for travel within New York City.

There will be no increase to fares on all West of Hudson lines.

The surcharge for tickets purchased onboard, whether from a conductor or the TrainTime app, will increase by $2. Customers who repeatedly purchase or activate mobile tickets onboard will be subject to the surcharge after an escalating series of warnings.

You can find the complete new prices here.

There are a few policy changes on the way as well.

All one-way paper and mobile tickets will expire at 4 a.m. the day after purchase. For example, if a customer purchases a one-way ticket on Monday at 10 a.m., it will be valid until Tuesday at 4 a.m. Customers still need to activate tickets before boarding.

There are some new ticket options that might help take the sting out of the changes.

A new Day Pass for unlimited travel will replace the Round-Trip ticket. The Day Pass will be valid on the day of purchase until 4 a.m. the following day. On weekdays, the Day Pass will cost 10 percent less than two one-way peak tickets; on weekends, it will cost the same as two one-way off-peak tickets. Unlimited Day Passes are also available for CityTicket and Far Rockaway ticketholders, priced at $14.50 in the peak and $10.50 in the off-peak.

A new "pay-as-you-go" discount will be available for mobile customers. After 10 peak or off-peak trips in 14 days, mobile customers will get an 11th peak or off-peak one-way trip for free in the same 14-day period.

Children aged 5-17 will be able to ride for $1 each on the Family Fare when accompanied by a fare-paying adult, even in the morning peak.

Reduced fares will now be available all day, every day for seniors, people with disabilities, and Medicare recipients, even in the morning peak period.