Attention LIRR riders: Time to rate your satisfaction with the railroad's service

After dropping to its lowest LIRR rider satisfaction rating in two years, the MTA hopes for better results in its fall customer survey, which launched on Tuesday.

Looking to surpass the 17,000 Long Island Rail Road riders who took the "Customers Count" survey in the spring, Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials visited Grand Central Madison on Tuesday morning to spread the word about the survey, which is open until Nov. 1.

Using a 10-point scale, the survey asks respondents to rate various aspects of their LIRR commute, ranging from safety at their origin and destination stations to on-time performance to the availability of seats.

The railroad's previous survey, conducted in April and May, registered overall customer satisfaction at 73%, down from 80% in fall 2025 and the lowest level since spring 2024, when it was at 70%.

MTA officials attributed the rise in discontent, in large part, to unhappiness over new ticket policies enacted in January. The new policies eliminated some options, like round-trip and 10-trip tickets, and shortened the validity period of one-way tickets from 60 days to 4 a.m. the day after purchase. Electronic ticket holders also could be hit with a new $8 surcharge for repeated late activations.

With 10 months to get used to the new ticket rules, MTA chief customer officer Shanifah Rieara hopes LIRR rider satisfaction will rebound, she said.

The survey is available through the MTA's TrainTime app, its social media channels, via its website, www.mta.info, or by scanning QR codes posted at some stations.

By Alfonso A. Castillo

alfonso.castillo@newsday.com@alfonsoreports

Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.