Uber's new 'Make My Train' feature aims to make LIRR trips a little smoother

A new "Make My Train" feature from ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc. aims to help Long Island Rail Road commuters by incorporating train times and recommending times to request a pickup, the company announced Friday.

The feature is triggered when a rider enters a LIRR train station as a destination into their Uber app.

At that point, the rider can see real-time train data and is prompted to select a train.

Then they can see Uber's recommended time to schedule an Uber ride to the LIRR station.

In a news release, Uber said that in January, 3,000 riders used Uber for connections to an LIRR station. Uber cautioned that the transit arrival times and prices are estimates provided by a third party and that it could not guarantee their accuracy.

The county executives of Suffolk and Nassau counties issued statements backing the development.

"This technology will provide commuters with greater confidence in making that first mile connection,” said Suffolk County's Steve Bellone.

"I applaud Uber for identifying this long-standing problem and bringing this innovative technology to the table," said Nassau County's Laura Curran.

In June 2017, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo signed legislation providing a regulatory framework to clear the way for ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft to operate around the state.

In the first six months after ride sharing became legal in Nassau and Suffolk, six of the Top 10 destinations for Uber riders were Long Island Rail Road stations, the company reported.

The Top 10 destinations for that period were: the Hicksville LIRR station; Roosevelt Field mall; Mineola LIRR station; Valley Stream LIRR station; Babylon LIRR station; Nassau Community College; Ronkonkoma LIRR station; Garden City Hotel; Hempstead Transit Center and The Tap Room in Patchogue.

Shares of San Francisco-based Uber jumped 9.5% to close at $40.63 Friday after the company reported a gain in revenue in the fourth quarter.

In the report after Thursday's market close, chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said he expects the company to reach profitability on an adjusted basis by year's end.

By Ken Schachter

kenneth.schachter@newsday.comkschach

Ken Schachter covers corporate news, including technology and aerospace, and other business topics for Newsday. He has also worked at The Miami Herald and The Jerusalem Post.