Are pocket timetables still printed?

Steve: The LIRR discontinued the printing of Branch timetables during 2020.
The last issues of all 11 forms to the public were dated March 9 to May 17, 2020.

With the implementation of the Essential Service Schedules and cutbacks timetable printing
was discontinued for all 11 timetable forms and for any special schedule and service changes.

MNCR also discontinued printing their four timetable forms: Harlem, Hudson, New Haven and
Port Jervis/Pascack Valley Line timetables around the same time during 2020.

However...The LIRR printed - but did not distribute - timetables dated May 18 to July 12, 2020
which would have been the regular Summer 2020 schedule changes.
LIST-NRHS has a limited quantity of these rare timetables available.
(sale or donation to LIST-NRHS)

This change ended 46 years of LIRR printed Branch timetables...
May 20, 1974 were the first issues.

There should be some sort of compromise between the MTA and the percentage of riders that want
to continue using Branch line timetables with either a limited release to reduce printing waste or
perhaps even a small charge to obtain a printed copy instead of discontinuing them altogether...

MACTRAXX

The subway used to publish timetables too for the public.

Subway timetables were a bit of a bad joke because trains never ran on time, at least not in real life. But one reason to take them away - make it harder for someone to figure out what time a train SHOULD be somewhere.

With LIRR there's an extra complication - at least when I last checked, EVERY single train left its origin point at least one minute past schedule, plus was counted as on time getting into Penn, for instance, if it approached the tunnels inbound at least within 5:59 of official Penn arrival time. Like NYCTA, trains did not have to actually arrive at destination to be considered on time (if they broke down en route).

It's hard to reconcile a stream of broken down train or track or signal or switch emails some days with the super high official on time arrival rates. And pre pandemic, I've had the problem where my train would consistently arrive at Penn about 5 minutes late (but officially on time), I'd head to to my subway line, and have to wait 20 minutes or more because it was early enough (before 7:30) that hardly any subway trains were running through Penn. On the rare event my train would get to Penn on time, I'd normally have no problem making my subway connection.

I always kept a branch timetable and 2 station timetables with me because I could be heading home at an odd time, and because there are too many places you can't use the LIRR apps to check the schedule. Plus, not everyone uses smart phones. I do, but like to have the backup.

NYCT subway timetables are available here. Print editions are no longer published.

I've used the online ones once in a while. And when you use trip planners with mass transit the subway data has to come from somewhere. Though I don't know if there is any connection between them and reality. Worse yet, bus schedules. Any connection seems to be pure fantasy. I've also used the app to show when the next bus will arrive, with pretty much useless results. My favorite; the bus that gets closer and closer and then disappears after 20 minutes of tracking it, with the next one at least 20 minutes away. Kind of makes one feel like you are operating a slot machine in Vegas.

Thanks Mike:
LIRR Babylon Branch timetable Form 7-TPSS-152 May 16th-July 12th, 2020 The last timetable of 2020 due to Covid-19. Archive: NRHS-LIST Steve Quigley