Long Island Rail Road special service will expand for the 2026 U.S. Open golf tournament. It will give spectators a rail option to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton during the event.

Long Island Rail Road special service expands
Photo: wikipedia

The tournament is scheduled for June 15-21, and LIRR will serve a temporary Shinnecock Hills station for the championship. According to the MTA’s official guidance for getting to the 2026 U.S. Open by LIRR, the plan marks a larger rail operation than in 2018, when the U.S. Open was last held at Shinnecock Hills and the railroad carried more than 77,000 fans.

Long Island Rail Road special service for U.S. Open travel

The event service will run on the LIRR Montauk Branch, with an average of seven to eight additional trains per day stopping at Shinnecock Hills. LIRR also plans to add extra trains, increase train lengths and adjust schedules, giving the service more rider capacity and more direct travel options.

LIRR President Rob Free said the railroad is ready for the championship and urged spectators to avoid traffic by using train service to and from Shinnecock Hills. Extra staff, he said, will also be available at Southampton to help customers throughout the event.

Extra trains to Shinnecock Hills station

Train volumes will shift as the tournament moves through its stages. During the practice rounds from June 15 to 17, Shinnecock Hills will be served by 22 trains, including 10 arrivals and 12 departures.

For the first two tournament rounds on Thursday, June 18, and Friday, June 19, LIRR will operate 25 trains. That total includes 12 arrivals and 13 departures, compared with 15 trains during the 2018 event.

Weekend service will rise again on Saturday and Sunday, June 20-21. LIRR plans 26 trains in total, with 13 running in each direction; in 2018, the comparable weekend schedule included 18 trains.

LIRR schedule and Train Time app details

Full schedules are available through LIRR schedule information and the LIRR Train Time app. The schedule also includes USGA rules on prohibited items, covering which items spectators may or may not bring to the U.S. Open golf tournament.