NEW YORK — The New York City terminal for Long Island Rail Road’s East Side Access project has a new name: Grand Central Madison.
The long-delayed, $11.2 billion project to build a new LIRR station in midtown Manhattan, deep beneath Grand Central Terminal, received the new name in a Tuesday press conference featuring New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. It is meant to evoke both the Grand Central location and the Madison Avenue corridor it helps serve.
Hochul said the new service will be “a game-changer for Long Island, allowing the LIRR to dramatically expand service and operate more reliably for commuters, and reducing overcrowding at Penn Station.
Major construction on the East Side Access project was finished a year ago [see “Major construction complete …,” Trains News Wire, May 28, 2021], with the first test trains running in October [see “Officials’ test train marks milestone …,” News Wire, Nov. 1, 2021].
The project — once slated for completion in 2009 — is scheduled to open this year. While the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has yet to set a date, the LIRR plans to release draft timetables including service to the new terminal this week.
“Our service planners used the opportunity of the opening of service to Grand Central Madison to take a completely fresh look at the schedules, something that has not been done in more than 30 years,” LIRR Interim President Catherine Rinaldi said in a press release. “We want the public to be able to see these draft timetables months before service starts, and plan to share final timetables this fall.”
Share this article
