The Citiblog
Grand Central Madison Opens to the Public, Speeding Up LIRR Service
January 25, 2023, 5:22.46 pm ET
Photos: MTA
Grand Central Madison, the Long Island Railroad extension to Grand Central Terminal, is official open. Work on the over $12 billion project began over two decades ago and was initially supposed to be completed in 2009 at a cost of $3.9 billion. For LIRR customers who work on the east side of Manhattan, this new terminal is expected to save 40 minutes a day of commute time round trip.
"Grand Central Madison is a game changer for New Yorkers, and I look forward to welcoming Long Island commuters to our tremendous new terminal," Governor Hochul said. "Infrastructure is all about connections, and this project is an extraordinary step forward to better connect millions of New Yorkers with their homes, their families and their jobs."
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said the eight tracks, four platforms and 714,000 square feet of space at Grand Central Madison are only the most visible part of a project that also includes 40 miles of new track, five new railroad bridges, 51 signal towers, and tunnel ventilation plants with emergency exits every few blocks.
Grand Central Madison is the first new major downtown rail terminal in the United States in 67 years and the first expansion of the LIRR in 112 years, since service began to Penn Station on September 8, 1910.
For more information, visit new.mta.info
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