MTA board to vote on raising platform beer prices

It may soon cost a little bit more to unwind with a beer on the rail commute home, as the LIRR Monday moved closer to hiking the prices of beverages sold on Penn Station platforms.

The Commuter Railroad Committee of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted Monday to increase the cost of each beverage sold on train platforms by 25 cents.

For LIRR commuters, that means a domestic beer will go from $2.25 to $2.50. An imported brew climbs from $3.25 to $3.50. And a 25-ounce Fosters - for those really bad days at the office - will go from $4.50 to $4.75.

The full MTA board is expected to vote on the changes Wednesday. If approved, the new prices would take effect Jan. 1.

MTA officials said there was already a policy in place that allows the agency to increase the prices of beverages sold on train platforms according to the consumer price index. But officials said the expenses related to offering the vendor services have exceeded the rate of inflation - justifying the 25-cent increase.

"This is an opportunity for the railroad to increase their revenue, and that's the goal," LIRR president Helena Williams said. "We provide the beverage, we get the revenue."

The price increases will only effect beer sales for LIRR vendors. MTA officials said the increase will make them "competitive with other vendors in Penn Station."

The LIRR's special services operation, which includes beverage sales, generated $2.4 million in revenue in 2009 and made the agency about $500,000 in profit. The agency expects to net an additional $100,000 next year because of the price hike.