The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) recently announced the introduction of new advanced self-service ticket vending machines (TVMs) at select Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Metro-North Railroad stations. The new TVMs are designed to offer a variety of features aimed at enhancing the customer experience and are expected to be fully deployed across all stations by 2026. The updated fare system is scheduled to go into effect on January 4, 2026.
According to MTA, the new ticket vending machines have been upgraded with comprehensive functionalities. They can now sell cross-system tickets for both LIRR and Metro-North, and support scanning of old ticket barcodes for quick repurchase of the same ticket type. The machines now offer change in $5 and $10 bills in addition to coins, and the language interface has been expanded from 3 languages on the previous machines to 10 languages, making it more convenient for multilingual users.
Robert Free, the President of LIRR, stated that the upgraded machines provide a “smoother experience” for passengers who prefer paper tickets. Justin Vonashek, the President of Metro-North, highlighted the convenience of being able to purchase tickets to any destination from a single machine, making commuting more straightforward. MTA is also concurrently updating the ticket office equipment at the manned ticket windows, with full activation expected by 2026.
On the LIRR front, installations at 23 stations along the Oyster Bay, Ronkonkoma, and Babylon lines have been completed, with all 126 stations set to be fully outfitted according to the plan.
The upgrade in ticketing equipment is seen as laying the groundwork for the fare adjustments set to take effect in 2026. Under the new fare scheme, monthly and weekly passes will see a maximum increase of 4.5%, while one-way and other ticket types could see a maximum increase of 8%. Peak CityTicket prices within the city will be adjusted to $7.25, while off-peak prices will be set at $5.25, and this option will become a permanent fare type. LIRR and Metro-North will also introduce new offerings like the “Day Pass” to replace round-trip tickets, mobile ticketing with accumulative discounts, and a $1 family ticket scheme. All one-way tickets will expire at 4:00 AM the following day to streamline the rules.
Brian Fritsch, the Deputy Director of MTA’s Advisory Committee, emphasized the continued importance of paper tickets, especially for infrequent riders who may not download apps for ticketing purposes.