Cannonball (LIRR train)

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Not to be confused with Wabash Cannon Ball.
Cannonball
The Cannonball passing through Bay Shore in 2008.
Overview
Service typeCommuter rail
Inter-city rail
StatusOperating
LocaleNortheast United States
Long Island
First service1899 (as Cannon Ball)
Current operator(s)Long Island Rail Road
Route
TerminiNew York City
Montauk, New York
Stops9 (Westbound)
6 (Eastbound)
Distance travelled118.0 miles (190 km)
Average journey time3 hours
Service frequencyWeekly[1]
Eastbound on summer Fridays
Westbound on summer Sundays
Train number(s)16 (eastbound)[1]
6017 (westbound)[1]
On-board services
Class(es)
  • Unreserved Coach
  • Reserved Coach (Hampton Reserve Service)
Seating arrangementsCoach seating (2 by 2)
Catering facilitiesSnacks and drinks served to passengers at their seat (Hampton Reserve Service)
Baggage facilitiesOverhead racks
Technical
Rolling stock
Track gauge4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification750 V (DC) third rail (Penn Station to Babylon)
None (Babylon to Montauk)
Track owner(s)LIRR

The Cannonball is a seasonal named train operated by the Long Island Rail Road between Penn Station in New York City and the Montauk station on Long Island, New York. The train operates from May through October, running Fridays to Montauk and Sundays to New York.[2]

History[edit]

Cannon Ball and Sunrise Special (1899–1939)[edit]

Inaugural westbound run of the Cannon Ball from Montauk in 1899
The Cannonball approaching Eastport via the Manorville Branch in 1923

The predecessor of the Cannonball was a seasonal afternoon express train from New York City to Sag Harbor, which began operation shortly after the now-abandoned Sag Harbor Branch was completed in 1870.[3][4] The name Cannon-ball was first used informally for this train, which was officially known as the Shelter Island and Hamptons Express, around 1893.[5] In 1895, the railroad between Bridgehampton and Montauk was completed, and four years later, the Cannon Ball Express was inaugurated.[6][7]: 110  It ran between Long Island City and either Montauk or Greenport. This service pattern had the train's consist split at the now-closed Manorville station:[8] one section would continue via the Main Line to Greenport, while the other would travel via the Manorville Branch to join the Montauk Branch at Eastport, thereafter continuing to Montauk. Under its original service pattern, the train operated eastbound on Friday and Saturday afternoons and westbound on Saturday and Monday mornings, running nonstop between Jamaica and Speonk.[9][10] For service to or from Atlantic Terminal or Penn Station, passengers had to change at Jamaica.

In summer 1922, the LIRR renamed the train as the Sunrise Special. Between Memorial Day and Columbus Day, service was operated eastbound from Penn Station to Montauk on Friday afternoons and westbound on Monday mornings, with bidirectional Monday–Saturday service during July and August. At this time, the train consisted entirely of pullman cars.[7]: 114  By 1930, the name Cannon Ball was again used for the train departing late Friday afternoons and serving both Montauk and Greenport, while the name Sunrise Special was given to a newly-inaugurated early afternoon Montauk Branch train.[8]

LIRR decline and regrowth (1939–1965)[edit]

During and after World War II, the LIRR faced financial troubles and implemented a number of service cuts.[11] Cannonball to Greenport was discontinued in 1942, and the train was re-routed via the Montauk Branch in 1949 when the Manorville Branch was abandoned. The LIRR declared bankruptcy in 1949,[11] and later that year, also eliminated the Cannonball express service. In place of the westbound train, the railroad ran a train making additional stops and without special coaches, and no alternative service was provided to replace the eastbound train.[12] The removal of the Cannonball sparked outcry and protests from commuters, who highlighted that it was the only express train to and from the East End.[13][14] After several hearings following commuters' complaints, the Cannonball was reinstated in early 1950.[12]

In Februrary 1953, amid bankruptcy, the LIRR sought to cease operations on the Montauk branch east of Patchogue and operate bus service in its place. It cited low, predominantly non-commuter ridership, proximity to the Main Line (at least as far east as Riverhead), and potential savings of $450,000 per year, which included track maintenance costs to run trains such as the Cannonball.[15][16] The Town of East Hampton protested this proposed closure, highlighting the potential for increased vehicular traffic due to lack of alternative means of travel.[16] The railroad began to recover from bankruptcy in 1954 and the Montauk Branch remained open. During the subsequent revitalization of the railroad, new rolling stock would be acquired, including amenities such as air conditioning and replacing decades-old equipment.[17][18]

Beginning in summer 1961, the western terminus of the Cannonball was changed from Jamaica to Hunterspoint Avenue, eliminating the need for some passengers traveling to or from Manhattan to change at Jamaica. The following year, the train was operated entirely with parlor cars, which offered roomettes and full dining car service.[17] Previously, the train had operated with both standard-fare coaches and parlor cars. Historically, the train has been known for its parlor car service and party scene (in which cocktails were served),[19] and ridership on the train has been accordingly perceived as a status symbol.[6] The train's popularity also meant that it would frequently draw in larger crowds than it could seat.[17] Also in 1962, the name of the train changed to the Cannonball Express.[20] This new name of the train paid homage to jazz musician Cannonball Adderley.[21]

MTA takeover (1965–2013)[edit]

An eastbound Cannonball passing through Woodside in 2009

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the Cannonball continued to utilize exclusively parlor cars in its consist.[18][22] The Cannonball operated with as many as 18 cars, requiring it to make two or even three stops at each station because only eight cars could platform at a time.[19] Railroad Director of Special Services Walter McNamara stated that the Cannonball was the only all-parlor car train in the United States.[22] Within the next few years, the railroad reinstated regular coach seating on the Cannonball, while continuing to provide parlor car service for an additional fee. During the late 1970s, the segment of the Montauk Branch between Speonk and Montauk was rehabilitated, which allowed the Cannonball to offer a total Manhattan–Montauk travel time of less than three hours.[23]

Between 1998 and 2000, the LIRR retired its P72 and P75 coaches and replaced them with double-decker C3 coaches. The new rolling stock did not include any bar cars; some riders felt this had eliminated the party scene common aboard the train in previous years.[6] The retirement of parlor cars has also been considered a symbol of decreasing popularity of rail travel, especially among the wealthy.[24] Beginning in 2001, the LIRR has instead offered a Hamptons Reserve service, which includes advanced seating reservations, bar service, and special luggage storage, at a premium over the standard ticket price.[6][25] Hamptons Reserve service was offered in two cars, with the remainder of the train having unrestricted seating.[24][26] No other LIRR trains offered reserved seating.[27]

Dual-mode service (2013–present)[edit]

Departure information at Penn Station for the first Cannonball trip of 2021

Beginning in 2013, the western terminus of the train was changed from Hunterspoint Avenue to Penn Station, with the train utilizing dual-mode DM30AC locomotives.[2] This change also eliminated the stop at Jamaica; the Cannonball would run nonstop between Penn Station and Westhampton with a scheduled travel time of 94 minutes. MTA officials expressed that Penn Station was better equipped to handle large crowds, in contrast to Hunterspoint Avenue and Jamaica, an issue that customers had also reported.[25] At the same time, the MTA introduced the Cannonball West, a Sunday evening train between Montauk and Penn Station that would run nonstop between Westhampton and Jamaica,[28] though on 2024 timetables, only the eastbound train is named the Cannonball.[1] The westbound train would also offer Hamptons Reserve service.

In the 2013 season, Hamptons Reserve ridership was reported to have increased by more than 100% compared to the previous year.[26][29] The following year, the LIRR instituted a policy by which refunds for Hamptons Reserve reservations would not be provided after the day before the scheduled trip. MTA officials believed that 20–30% of Hamptons Reserve seats were unfilled because they were part of multiple-seat bookings by the same customers – "seat hoarding" – which resulted in lost revenue for the MTA and greater difficulty (e.g., longer waitlists) for customers seeking to make reservations aboard the train.[30][29]

In 2015, the Federal Railroad Administration investigated concerns of safety due to crowding aboard the Cannonball; some runs of the train were reported to be filled at almost 150% capacity in the non-reserved section.[31] Beginning that season, the LIRR had allocated three cars to Hamptons Reserve service, rather than two as in previous years.[31][32] The LIRR responded to these concerns by imposing new restrictions on oversized luggage, effective beginning with the train's run on August 21.[33]

The Cannonball was suspended for the entirety of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The train resumed operating in 2021, again with two Hamptons Reserve cars; it carried approximately 585 passengers on its first run of the season on Memorial Day weekend.[34] Although overall ridership on the Long Island Railroad has not fully recovered following the pandemic,[35] the Cannonball transported roughly 1,575 passengers east on Memorial Day weekend in 2023, a figure comparable to pre-pandemic levels.[36]

Operation[edit]

The boarding of a Hamptons 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 Hunterspoint Avenue.
Closeup of the Drumhead on the front of the train.

Equipment[edit]

The Cannonball train consists of two dual-mode DM30AC locomotives, one on each end of the train, and usually runs with 12 cars eastbound and 8 cars westbound. On the eastbound run, the locomotives are switched into diesel mode at Woodside station. Going west, the mode switchover occurs at VALLEY or QUEENS interlocking, before the train arrives at Jamaica station.[37]: I-72 

Because the eastbound Cannonball operates with twelve cars, and most station platforms in the Hamptons are 6–8 cars long,[a] the train makes two stops at each station to allow passengers to alight from all cars.[38] Its schedule builds in two additional minutes for each stop relative to the off-season Friday express train.[1]

Route[edit]

The Cannonball utilizes the Main Line between Penn Station and Jamaica. East of Jamaica, the train continues to Babylon either via the Montauk Branch or via the Main Line to Bethpage and Central Branch to Babylon, before following the Montauk Branch east to Montauk. In the 2010s and 2020s, the Cannonball has usually been routed over the Montauk Branch.[37]: 42 

Unlike regular Montauk Branch trains, the eastbound Cannonball does not make any intermediate stops between Penn Station and the Hamptons.[1] Thanks to this express segment, the scheduled run time of the Cannonball is 2 hours, 41 minutes; it is scheduled to depart from Penn Station at 4:07 p.m. and arrive at Montauk at 6:48 p.m. Similarly, the Cannonball West, which makes no intermediate stops between Westhampton and Jamaica, has an end-to-end travel time of 2 hours, 51 minutes. The same trip between Penn Station and Montauk takes over 3 hours on any Montauk Branch train making intermediate stops.[1] The train reaches a maximum speed of 80 miles per hour (130 km/h) in electrified territory west of Bethpage or Babylon and a maximum speed of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) in diesel territory, though several curves and interlockings along the route have a lower maximum acceptable speed.[37]: I-28–I-30  Signalization of the entire Montauk Branch was completed in 2017, allowing the speed limit to be raised east of Speonk.[39][40]

Fare and service[edit]

As of August 20, 2023, an adult one-way ticket from Penn Station (Zone 1) to stations in The Hamptons (Zone 14) costs $31.75 (at the ticket machine or MTA TrainTime app) or $38.00 (if purchased onboard the train).[41] Due to the train's departure time during the PM rush hour, peak pricing is in effect.[1] The Hamptons Reserve Service is a premium service with reserved seating and full bar service;[2][42][43] it was introduced in summer 2001 to replace the discontinued parlor cars.[6] Hamptons Reserve Service costs an additional $20.00 over the base ticket price.[2]

Stations[edit]

The Cannonball stops at the following stations:[44]

Zone[45] Town/City Station Miles (km)
from NYP[b] 		Date
opened 		Connections and notes
1 New York City Penn Station 0.0 (0) 1910 Amtrak Amtrak (long-distance): Crescent, Lake Shore Limited, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Silver Star
Amtrak Amtrak (intercity): Acela, Adirondack, Berkshire Flyer, Carolinian, Empire Service, Ethan Allen Express, Keystone Service, Maple Leaf, Northeast Regional, Pennsylvanian, Vermonter
LIRR: ■ Main Line, ■ Port Washington Branch
NJ Transit NJ Transit: ■ North Jersey Coast Line, ■ Northeast Corridor Line, ■ Gladstone Branch, ■ Montclair-Boonton Line, ■ Morristown Line
NYC Subway: "1" train​"2" train​"3" train"A" train​"C" train​"E" train
Port Authority Trans-Hudson PATH: HOB-33 JSQ-33 JSQ-33 (via HOB)
Bus interchange NYC Transit Bus
3 Jamaica, Queens Jamaica
(westbound only) 		11.2 (18.0) 1836 LIRR: ■ Main Line, ■ Atlantic Branch, ■ Babylon Branch, ■ Far Rockaway Branch, ■ Montauk Branch, ■ Long Beach Branch, ■ Port Jefferson Branch, ■ West Hempstead Branch and all other eastern branches.
NYC Subway: "E" train​​"J" train​"Z" train (at Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport)
Bus transport NYC Transit Bus
Bus transport Nassau Inter-County Express Bus
AirTrain JFK
14 Westhampton Westhampton 76.5 (123.1) 1870 Bus transport Suffolk County Transit Bus
Hampton Bays Hampton Bays
(westbound only) 		83.4 (134.2) 1869 Bus transport Suffolk County Transit Bus
Southampton Southampton 91.5 (147.3) 1871 Bus transport Suffolk County Transit Bus
Bridgehampton Bridgehampton 96.2 (154.8) 1870 Bus transport Suffolk County Transit Bus
East Hampton East Hampton 103.1 (165.9) 1895 Bus transportSuffolk County Transit Bus
Amagansett Amagansett
(westbound only) 		104.3 (167.9) 1895 Bus transport Suffolk County Transit Bus
Montauk Montauk 118.0 (189.9) 1895 Bus transport Suffolk County Transit Bus

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ The exception is Amagansett, whose platform is one and a half cars long, though the eastbound Cannonball does not stop there.
  2. ^ Mileage varies depending on the precise route. These numbers assume using the Main Line from New York Penn to Jamaica and the Montauk Branch from Jamaica to Montauk.[37]: IV 

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Montauk Branch Timetable". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. May 20, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d "LIRR to Operate First Non-Stop Service from Manhattan to Hamptons". MTA Long Island Rail Road. April 18, 2013. Archived from the original on April 23, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  3. ^ "The New Branch Railroad to Sag Harbor". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. June 10, 1870. p. 2. Retrieved May 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Railroads". The Brooklyn Union. July 2, 1872. p. 1. Retrieved May 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ ""Cannon-ball" train makes its first run of '93". The Brooklyn Citizen. June 11, 1893. Retrieved May 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c d e Sen, Indrani (July 8, 2001). "Riding East, 'Party Train' Spirit Lives | Riders Making Tracks On The Hamptons Line". Newsday. pp. A7, A21. Retrieved July 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b Morrison, David D. (2021). Long Island Rail Road: Montauk Branch. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9781467106900.
  8. ^ a b "Summer Schedule on L.I. Railroad Goes Into Effect". Brooklyn Daily Times. June 1, 1930. Retrieved July 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Last Trips of the Cannon Ball". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. October 24, 1899. Retrieved July 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Heaviest Fourth of July Passenger Traffic This Year in the History of the Road". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. July 6, 1908. Retrieved July 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b Dudar, Helen (March 3, 1949). "LIRR Bankrupt, Asks New Setup". Newsday. p. 59. Retrieved May 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b "Cannonball Back But Steam Gone". Newsday. January 30, 1950. p. 45. Retrieved May 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Suffolk Supers Protest Removal of LIRR's Cannonball Express". Newsday. December 21, 1949. p. 69. Retrieved May 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ Dudar, Helen (January 13, 1950). "Cannonball Haunts LIRR Steam Hearing". Newsday. pp. 5, 27. Retrieved May 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ Ryttenberg, Madeline (February 18, 1953). "LIRR Presses Plan to Drop Montauk". Newsday. pp. 3, 22. Retrieved May 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ a b "L.I.R.R. Files to End Montauk Branch". The New York Times. November 21, 1953. pp. 1, 19. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
  17. ^ a b c Sylvester, Robert (June 17, 1962). "Living It Up On the Long Island". New York Daily News. p. 53. Retrieved January 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ a b Tennenbaum, Silvia (September 19, 1970). "Ticket on the Cannonball". Newsday. p. W-3. Retrieved May 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ a b Sylvester, Robert (September 2, 1969). "Dream Street | The Rockin Roller..." New York Daily News. p. 52. Retrieved May 14, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ "The LIRR Extra List". trainsarefun.com. Archived from the original on April 11, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2021.
  21. ^ "Name Train for Adderley". The Pittsburgh Courier. August 11, 1962. p. 14. Retrieved May 9, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ a b Shanahan, Gerri; Keeler, Bob (January 26, 1972). "Parlor Car Riders Dislike the Hike, Too". Newsday. p. 19. Retrieved May 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ Schaer, Sidney C. (June 14, 1979). "To Montauk in Style". Newsday. p. 9. Retrieved May 13, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ a b Greenstein, Joe (February 2006). "LIRR does it anyway... Nobody said this was gonna be easy". Trains. pp. 51–52. ProQuest 206638089.
  25. ^ a b Salvi, C. A. (May 22, 2013). "Now, a Nonstop Cannonball on the L.I.R.R." The East Hampton Star. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  26. ^ a b "Long Island Rail Road Unveils Simpler Ticket Plan for Hamptons Reserve Service on Cannonball Express Trains". longisland.com. March 27, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  27. ^ Ain, Stewart (August 12, 2006). "Reservations, Maybe. Qualms, Absolutely Not". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  28. ^ Castillo, Alfonso A. (April 18, 2013). "LIRR: 'Cannonball' run straight from Penn to Hamptons". Newsday. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  29. ^ a b Harshbarger, Rebecca (March 21, 2014). "The rich are hoarding Hamptons Cannonball tickets". The New York Post. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  30. ^ Castillo, Alfonso A. (March 26, 2014). "MTA to vote on ticket policy to prevent LIRR Hamptons 'hoarding'". Newsday. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  31. ^ a b "CBS2 Exclusive: Feds Probe Safety Concerns on LIRR's Cannonball Express". CBS News. August 17, 2015. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  32. ^ Carlson, Jen (May 22, 2014). "Super Speedy "Cannonball" Train Promises Pampered Trip to Hamptons". Gothamist. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  33. ^ Fitzsimmons, Emma G. (August 21, 2015). "New Rules on Crowding for the Hamptons Express". The New York Times. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  34. ^ "Hamptons-Bound LIRR Customers #TakeTheTrain For First "Cannonball" Run in Two Years" (Press release). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. May 28, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  35. ^ 2023 Annual Ridership Report. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Report). Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  36. ^ "Return of LIRR Cannonball Service to the Hamptons and Montauk Signals Start of Summer Season". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. May 26, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  37. ^ a b c d Long Island Rail Road (May 14, 2012). "TIMETABLE No. 4" (PDF). Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  38. ^ "New Ticket Policies for Hamptons Reserve Coming Soon". The LIRR Today. March 22, 2014. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  39. ^ Castillo, Alfonso A. (November 12, 2017). "LIRR East End 'dark territory' gets signals from 21st century". Newsday. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  40. ^ "Semaphore 11-17" (PDF). Semaphore. The National Railway Historical Society. November 2017. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  41. ^ "LIRR Fare Table". August 20, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  42. ^ Confidential (June 9, 2013). "The pampered pretties from Bravo's 'Princesses: Long Island' discover bar car on LIRR express". nydailynews.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  43. ^ "Hamptons Reserve Service LIRR Returns (222560)". nycsubway.org. Retrieved June 27, 2021.
  44. ^ "Express LIRR 'Cannonball' Service To Hamptons Begins Today". CBS New York. May 24, 2013. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  45. ^ "New Fares — Effective April 21, 2019". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved April 27, 2020.

External links[edit]

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