MTA Revives Classic Redbirds Train for Mets 2025 Home Opener at Citi Field Against Toronto Blue Jays

Baseball fans have a nostalgic reason to be excited this season. The MTA has just announced they are bringing back the classic Redbirds train, set to cart Mets fans from Manhattan to the 2025 home opener at Citi Field on Friday, where the New York Mets will face off against the Toronto Blue Jays. "There is no better way to get to a Citi Field full of fans on Opening Day to see Juan Soto lead the Mets against Toronto than public transit," NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow said, as reported by MTA's press release.

Alongside the Redbirds event, the MTA ensures fans there are a line-up of accessible transit options. With the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) offering a direct ride to the Mets-Willets Point station via the Port Washington Branch, fans can get to the stadium in a mere 19 minutes from Penn Station. Rob Free, President of LIRR, talked about how the LIRR aims to provide the best customer experience to Mets games—“The LIRR provides the best customer experience to every single Mets home game. It’s fast, safe and affordable.” Fans coming from other branches can still reach the game with ease by transferring at Woodside, as mentioned by the MTA's official announcement.

Not to be left out, the NYC Subway and buses are also championing the ease of reaching the 2025 season games, with the Mets-Willets Point​  subway station conveniently positioned in front of the stadium and the Q48 bus placing fans at the doorstep of excitement. For those using paratransit, Access-A-Ride has a designated stop right at Citi Field, and for a trip, customers are just a call away at (877) 337-2017.

The Mets Nostalgia Train is making its return, running from 34 St-Hudson Yards direct to Mets-Willets Point, and will include several stops along the way such as Times Sq-42 St and Grand Central-42 St. Fans can anticipate a journey steeped in the storied history of the trains, as the Redbirds, dating back to 1959, have been a part of the city's transit legacy—and just before the Mets themselves came into existence. These vintage cars promise to deliver supporters to the stadium in style, and ideals of the past, when the Redbirds roamed the tracks unfazed by the city's evolution, according to the same press release.

Meanwhile, Metro-North Railroad riders haven’t been forgotten. The newly opened Grand Central Madison now offers an even more seamless journey for those coming from further afield. A one-seat ride into Grand Central Terminal, and from there, fans have the option of either the LIRR or the 7 train to swiftly find themselves among their fellow supporters at the game.