Metro-North, New York City Transit announces holiday schedules for Thanksgiving week

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is gearing up to help get millions of holiday travelers to their destinations during the 2022 Thanksgiving weekend. Trains and buses across the MTA system will operate on special schedules on Wednesday, Nov. 23, through Sunday, Nov. 27, with special expanded railroad service on Wednesday afternoon, to accommodate the unique travel demands of Thanksgiving weekend.

Customers are encouraged to use the multiple fare promotions the MTA offers, including for Metro-North Railroad and New York City Transit (NYCT). Fare discounts include the 20-trip ticket which offers a 20% discount off comparable peak one-way fares, special fare discounts for families traveling with children, and the “Lucky 13” program on subways and buses.

Metro-North recommends customers use the MTA TrainTime app to buy tickets on smartphones or mobile devices. The app includes train schedules, seat availability, real-time tracking and more.

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Wednesday, Nov. 23: Expanded Early Afternoon Service on LIRR, Metro-North

Metro-North Railroad will operate a regular weekday service augmented with two additional early-getaway trains on the Harlem Line departing Grand Central Terminal between 1:15 – 3:30 p.m. Times are shown in the current timetables including the Connecting Service timetable, and are available by using the MTA TrainTime app and MTA.info trip planning tools.

Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 24: Take the Subway to Macy’s Parade

On Thanksgiving Day, New York City subways and buses will operate on a Sunday schedule. Metro-North is operating a special schedule with extra service before and after the parade. There are many bus routes that either do not operate on Sundays or do not run on part of the route at certain hours. Customers traveling on Thanksgiving Day should check Sunday schedules, lines and routes.

​​Getting to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The parade kicks off at 9 a.m. at 77th Street and Central Park West and ends in front of Macy’s at Herald Square (34th Street). The closest subway stations to the start of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade are the 1,2,3 at 72 Street, the 1 at 79 Street, the C at 81 Street, and the 1 at 59 Street - Columbus Circle.

Metro-North will provide additional inbound morning service for customers going to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. There will also be expanded outbound service starting in the late morning and continuing until mid-afternoon for customers traveling to suburban destinations.

Black Friday, Nov. 25

New York City subways will operate on a regular weekday schedule. Metro-North will operate on an enhanced Saturday schedule with additional inbound service in the morning and outbound service in the afternoon to accommodate the Friday workforce and Black Friday shoppers, with off-peak fares in effect all day. See schedules on the Metro-North Connecting Services page at mta.info, on posters in the station, and on the ferries and on the buses.

Saturday, Nov. 26, and Sunday, Nov. 27

New York City Transit and Metro-North will operate on regular weekend schedules.

For real-time service updates and information, customers can use the following options:

MYmta app – Customers who use the comprehensive MYmta smartphone app will see real-time travel information for all MTA services all in one place.

TrainTime app - The MTA launched a totally revamped TrainTime app as the new one-stop app for commuter rail customers in the region on both Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, showing all train schedules for 30 days in the future.

new.mta.info – The “Service Status” box at new.mta.info is always the definitive source for the latest status for each line.

Live Subway Map – The Live Subway Map shows the real-time position of trains, planned service changes at any given time, highlights accessible stations, and much more.