The LIRR Cannonball, an express train from NYC to the Hamptons that runs on Fridays only during the summer, has just passed through the Bay Shore Station, August 29, 2008. (AEMoreira042281, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
CANNONBALL
Not to be confused with the Wabash Cannon Ball.
The Cannonball is a seasonal named train operated by the Long Island Rail Road between Penn Station and Montauk. The train operates from May through October, running Fridays to Montauk and Sundays to New York.
The boarding of a Hampton Reserve car of a Cannonball train at Penn Station on May 24, 2013.
This was the first Cannonball train to depart from Penn Station instead of from Long Island City. Click to enlarge.
(Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Route
The Cannonball utilizes the Main Line between Penn Station and Jamaica and continues to Montauk either via the entire Montauk Branch or via the Main Line and Central Branch to the Montauk Branch depending on the schedule.
Fare and ticket information
As of April 21, 2019, an adult one-way ticket from Penn Station (Zone 1) to stations in The Hamptons (Zone 14) costs $30.50 (at the ticket machine or MYmta app) or $37.00 (if purchased on-board the train.) Hamptons Reserve Service costs an additional $20.00 which allows reserved seating and additional on-board services in the two rear cars.
On-board services
Hamptons Reserve Service
Introduced in 2001 to replace the parlor cars, the two rear cars of the train are reserved for Hamptons Reserve Service, a premium service with reserved seating and full bar service reminiscent of the previous parlor cars.
History
Pre-MTA
Originally known as the Cannon Ball, it first ran in 1899 between Long Island City and (via two sections east of Manorville) Montauk and Greenport. The Cannon Ball carried both standard-fare coaches and parlor cars. The section to Greenport was discontinued in 1942 and the train was re-routed via the Montauk Branch when the Manorville Branch closed in 1949.
Post-MTA
After the MTA takeover of the LIRR, the name of the train changed to Cannonball. Parlor cars were retired in 2000 and replaced with Hamptons Reserve Service when the LIRR replaced their P72 and P75 coaches with C3s. Beginning in 2013, the western terminus of the train was changed from Long Island City to Penn Station.
Long Island Rail Road, Jamaica, N.Y. Station on November 9, 1969. Click to enlarge.
(Photo by Roger Puta, railfan 44, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)
Route
Penn Station
East River Tunnels
Jamaica
Westhampton
Hampton Bays
Southampton
Bridgehampton
East Hampton
Montauk
An eastbound Cannonball passing through Woodside in 2009. Click to enlarge.
(R36, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Overview
Service type: Commuter rail, Inter-city rail
Status: Operating
Locale Northeast United States; Long Island
First service: 1899 (as Cannon Ball)
Current operator: Long Island Rail Road
Route Termini: New York City / Montauk, New York
Stops: 8 (Westbound); 6 (Eastbound)
Distance traveled: 118.0 miles (190 km)
Average journey time: 3 hours
Service frequency: May through October on Fridays (Eastbound); May through October on Sundays (Westbound)
On-board services
Classes:
Unreserved Coach; Reserved Coach (Hampton Reserve Service)
Seating arrangements: Coach seating (2 by 2)
Catering facilities: Snacks and drinks served to passengers at their seat (Hampton Reserve Service)
Baggage facilities: Overhead racks
Technical
Rolling stock: DM30AC, C3 Coaches
Track gauge: 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification: 750 V (DC) third rail (Penn Station to Babylon); None (Babylon to Montauk)
Track owners: LIRR
LIRR train 2798, the “Cannonball,” departs Penn Station for the Hamptons at 4:06 p.m. on Fri., May 28, 2021, Memorial Day weekend. (Marc A. Hermann / MTA) Click to enlarge. (Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York from United States of America, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)