LIRR Babylon Branch

The LIRR Babylon Branch, one of the busiest and most consistent lines in a rail system that runs from Penn Station in Manhattan through Queens and Nassau County and ends at Babylon in Suffolk County. It offers local and express trains and is the most frequently serviced line, making it a popular line for daily commuters. It served major stations in Jamaica, Lynbrook, Rockville Centre, and Massapequa. Although it allows commuters to travel quickly, its coastal route also makes it an ideal resort-facing option. Trains are frequent between morning and night, and limited late-night service runs as well.

This is where its connection at Jamaica Station enables transfers to virtually all other LIRR branches, as well as subway lines and AirTrain JFK. Babylon Branch is one of the LIRR’s busiest lines, providing essential connectivity between suburban communities and New York City.

LIRR Babylon Branch Overview

The Babylon Branch is an important part of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) system.
Line color: 🟠 Orange
The Babylon Branch is an electrified two-track line of the Long Island Rail Road in the U. S. state of New York, running from Penn Station (Zone 1) or Grand Central Madison in Manhattan to Babylon, Suffolk County.
The line serves urban commuters and suburban travelers in eastern Nassau and western Suffolk counties.
Third rail electrification to allow for electric M7/M9 trains.

LIRR Babylon Branch Major Stations (West to East)

Manhattan & Queens:

Penn Station (Zone 1): The largest of NYC’s train stations, you can catch the subway and Amtrak here in addition to service by NJ Transit.
Grand Central Madison: New terminal via East Side Access. Weekday peak service only.
Zone 1 (Woodside): Take the 7 Train and catch a Q70 bus down to LaGuardia Airport.
Forest Hills (Zone 1): Very short hours open; Near E/F/M/R subways.
Kew Gardens (Zone 1): Limited LIRR service, stop for the community types.
Jamaica (3): Major station serving AirTrain JFK, E/J/Z trains, and most LIRR branches.

Nassau County:

Lynbrook (Zone 4): Transfer point to Long Beach Branch
Rockville Centre (Zone 4): Busy suburban hub in commuterland.
Baldwin (Zone 4): Both stations are located in a residential area.
Freeport (Zone 7): Gateway stop with ferry to Fire Island.
Merrick (Zone 7): Village parking, elevated station.
Bellmore (Zone 7): commuter lot with garage access and downtown adjacents.
Wantagh (Zone 7): Close to Jones Beach, newly renovated
Seaford (Zone 7): Serves residential areas
Massapequa (Zone 7): Large ridership stop with access to downtown.
Massapequa Park (Zone 7): This is a neighborhood stop.

Suffolk County:

Amityville (Zone 7) Amityville: Easternmost Nassau/Suffolk border stop.
Copiague (Zone 7): One of the most modest yet one of the busiest stations.
Lindenhurst (Zone 7): Serves southern Babylon Town (Zone 7)
Babylon (Zone 7): Terminus with yard, bus terminal, and transfer points.

LIRR Babylon Branch Station Address

Railroad Avenue (south side), west of Deer Park Avenue, Babylon Village, New York 11702

LIRR Babylon Branch Branch Stations

Penn Station (Manhattan)
Woodside
Forest Hills
Kew Gardens
Jamaica (major transfer hub: Subway, AirTrain JFK, other LIRR lines)
Lynbrook (select trains—also transfer to Long Beach Branch)
Rockville Centre
Baldwin
Freeport
Merrick
Bellmore
Wantagh
Seaford
Massapequa
Massapequa Park
Amityville
Copiague
Lindenhurst
Babylon (terminus)

LIRR Babylon Branch Station Overview

#	Station Name	Transfer Options	ADA Accessible	Notes
1	Penn Station	NYC Subway (1/2/3/A/C/E), Amtrak, NJT	Yes	Major Manhattan terminal
2	Woodside	7 Train, Q70 to LGA	Yes	Quick connection to Queens & LGA
3	Forest Hills	E/F/M/R Subway	Yes	Limited LIRR service
4	Kew Gardens	E/F Subway nearby	Partial	Infrequent LIRR service
5	Jamaica	AirTrain JFK, E/J/Z Subway, other LIRR	Yes	Major LIRR hub
6	Lynbrook	Long Beach Branch	Yes	Transfer point to south shore line
7	Rockville Centre	Local buses	Yes	Residential/commuter area
8	Baldwin	–	Yes	Suburban stop
9	Freeport	NICE buses, ferry to Fire Island	Yes	Marina & summer traffic hub
10	Merrick	–	Yes	Suburban commuter station
11	Bellmore	–	Yes	Park-and-ride available
12	Wantagh	–	Yes	Recently renovated station
13	Seaford	–	Yes	Typical commuter stop
14	Massapequa	–	Yes	Major Nassau County stop
15	Massapequa Park	–	Yes	Near local shopping & parks
16	Amityville	–	Yes	Border of Nassau & Suffolk Counties
17	Copiague	–	Yes	Elevated station
18	Lindenhurst	–	Yes	Residential area
19	Babylon	Suffolk Transit, taxis, bus depot	Yes	Terminal station, rail yard nearby

LIRR Babylon Branch Monthly Pass Pricing

According to the official MTA fare chart:

Zones Traveled	Monthly Pass Price
Zone 1	$165
Zone 1 → 3	$198
Zone 1 → 4	$253
Zone 1 → 7	$287
Zone 1 → 9	$341
Zone 1 → 10	$378
Zone 1 → 12	$433
Zone 1 → 14	$468

LIRR Babylon Branch Fare & Tickets (Zone 1 → 7)

One-Way Peak Fare: ~$14.50
One-Way Off-Peak Fare: ~$10.75
Weekly Pass: ~$102
Monthly Pass: ~$287
CityTicket / ComboTicket: Not valid beyond Zone 4

LIRR Babylon Branch Transfers & Connections

Jamaica Station: Connects to almost all LIRR branches and JFK AirTrain.
Lynbrook: Transfer to Long Beach Branch.
Freeport: Connects to Fire Island ferries (summer service).
Woodside: Connects to the NYC Subway (7), local buses.
Babylon: Terminal station with bus, taxi, and parking services.

LIRR Babylon Branch Station

Babylon Branch Schedule (Monday – Friday AM)

Departure Station	Depart Time	Train Type / Destination	Approx. Arrival at Penn Station
Babylon	~6:11 AM	Local / Penn Station	~7:21 AM
Babylon	~7:16 AM	Express / Penn Station	~8:10 AM
Lindenhurst → Babylon	~7:19 AM	Local / Penn Station	~8:28 AM
Massapequa → Babylon	~7:10–7:17 AM	Local / Penn Station	~8:27–8:35 AM
Freeport	~7:03–7:06 AM	Local / Penn Station	~8:24–8:30 AM
Freeport	~8:03 AM	Express / Atlantic Terminal	Arrival varies (~9:00 AM)

Babylon Branch Schedule (Monday – Friday PM)

Departure Station	Departure Time	Arrival at Babylon
Penn Station → Babylon	4:25 PM	5:32 PM
Long Island City → Babylon	4:27 PM	5:41 PM
Grand Central → Babylon	4:51 PM	5:59 PM
Penn Station → Babylon	5:13 PM	6:15 PM (via Speonk)
Penn Station → Babylon	5:16 PM	6:23 PM
Penn Station → Babylon	5:23 PM	6:23 PM
Penn Station → Babylon	5:30 PM	6:24 PM
Penn Station → Babylon	5:51 PM	7:02 PM
Penn Station → Babylon	5:57 PM	7:12 PM (estimated express)
Penn Station → Babylon	6:07 PM	7:24 PM
Penn Station → Babylon	6:17 PM	7:31 PM
Penn Station → Babylon	6:31 PM	7:44 PM

Babylon Branch Schedule (Saturday – Sunday AM)

Time Period (Weekend Morning)	Frequency	Operating Hours	Destinations Served
Early Morning	Every 60 minutes	6:00 AM – 7:00 AM	Trains toward Penn Station and Grand Central Madison
Morning	Every 30–40 minutes	7:00 AM – 12:00 PM	Trains toward Penn Station and Grand Central Madison