Home/LIRR/Babylon Branch/Jamaica to Grand Central
Jamaica → Grand Central
- Travel time
- 20min
- Peak fare
- $7.25
- Off-peak
- $5.25
- Weekday trains
- 102
Trains run direct from Jamaica to Grand Central on the Babylon Branch, no change of train. The trip takes 18 to 22 minutes and covers 9.5 miles with 1 stop in between. There are 102 trains each weekday, roughly one every 10 minutes, with the first at 12:50 AM and the last at 12:12 AM. A one-way ticket costs $7.25 at peak and $5.25 off-peak.
This is the inbound direction, into Grand Central Madison. Weekday trains scheduled to arrive between 6:00 and 10:00 AM charge the peak fare, $7.25; the rest of the day and all weekend the off-peak fare, $5.25, applies. In this direction the gap between trains is about 5 minutes in the morning peak and 14 minutes at midday. 83 of the 102 weekday trains skip stops; the fastest run is what the travel-time range below reflects. Going back, Grand Central to Jamaica has 100 weekday trains, first at 12:16 AM and last at 11:53 PM, taking 19 to 23 minutes. See the return trip.
Updated 21 Sep 2026 · Long Island Rail Road GTFS · MTA LIRR fare chart, effective January 4 2026
The Babylon Branch runs along the South Shore of Nassau and western Suffolk, from Jamaica through Rockville Centre, Freeport and Massapequa to Babylon. It is electrified end to end, so trains run through to Penn Station, Grand Central Madison and Atlantic Terminal without a change.
Calling points
ServiceJamaica to Grand Central
FaresZone 3 → Zone 1
Source: MTA LIRR fare chart, effective January 4 2026.
How the pass break-even is calculated
The LIRR prices a ticket by the fare zone you start in and the zone you end in. There are eight zones in use: 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 12 and 14. Zone 1 is the Manhattan and Brooklyn terminals, Penn Station, Grand Central Madison and Atlantic Terminal, together with the stations nearest them. The zone numbers climb as you travel east, so a longer trip crosses more zones and costs more.
Peak fares apply on weekday trains scheduled to arrive at a New York terminal between 6:00 and 10:00 AM, or to leave one between 4:00 and 8:00 PM. Every other train, and every train on a weekend or holiday, is off-peak. Trips that stay entirely within zones 4 to 14, with neither end in the city, cost the same on every train.
Tickets are sold in the MTA TrainTime app, at station ticket machines and windows, and on board. Buying on board costs more than buying before you get on. Senior, disabled and Medicare fares are reduced and are not valid on weekday morning peak trains into New York. Weekly and monthly tickets cover unlimited travel between two zones for the period and are the usual choice for a five-day commute. The monthly pass break-even shown on each trip page is that pass price divided by the one-way peak fare, rounded up.
Stopping pattern
Questions
How long is the train from Jamaica to Grand Central?
Between 18 and 22 minutes on the published schedule; the typical run is 20 minutes with 1 stops in between.
Are there express trains from Jamaica to Grand Central?
Yes. 83 of the 102 weekday trains skip stops. The fastest makes 0 stops and the fullest 2, which is the difference between 18 and 22 minutes.
Is it cheaper off-peak?
Yes. The one-way fare is $5.25 off-peak and $7.25 on a peak train. Peak means a weekday arrival at the terminal between 6:00 and 10:00 AM.
When is the first and last train from Jamaica?
The first weekday departure is at 12:50 AM and the last at 12:12 AM. Weekends run 73 trains on Saturday and 59 on Sunday.
How often do trains run in the morning peak?
Between 6 and 10 AM the gap between departures averages about 5 minutes in this direction.
Are Jamaica and Grand Central accessible?
Jamaica is listed as fully accessible and Grand Central as fully accessible in the MTA station dataset. Lift outages are not reflected here; check the operator before you travel.
Which fare zones does this trip cross?
Jamaica is in zone 3 and Grand Central in zone 1. The fare is set by those two zones, not by the stops in between.
Do I need to change trains?
No. Every train counted here runs direct on the Babylon Branch.