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Grand Central Madison

Coordinates: 40°45′15″N 73°58′37″W / 40.7542°N 73.9770°W / 40.7542; -73.9770
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Grand Central Madison
Platform on opening day
General information
Coordinates40°45′15″N 73°58′37″W / 40.7542°N 73.9770°W / 40.7542; -73.9770
Owned byMetropolitan Transportation Authority
Operated byGrand Central Madison Concourse Operating Company[1]
Line(s)Grand Central Branch
Platforms4 island platforms
Tracks8
Connections
Construction
Structure typeUnderground
Depth140 ft (43 m)
Platform levels2
AccessibleYes
ArchitectAECOM (structural engineering and architecture design)[2][3]
Other information
Fare zoneZone 1
History
OpenedJanuary 25, 2023 (January 25, 2023)[4][5]
Passengers
17.1 million annually[6]
Services
Preceding station Long Island Rail Road Following station
Terminus Port Washington Branch Woodside
toward Port Washington
Hempstead Branch Woodside
toward Hempstead
Port Jefferson Branch Woodside
toward Huntington
Ronkonkoma Branch Woodside
toward Ronkonkoma
Far Rockaway Branch Woodside
toward Far Rockaway
Babylon Branch Woodside
toward Babylon
West Hempstead Branch Woodside
toward West Hempstead
Long Beach Branch Woodside
toward Long Beach
Belmont Park Branch
special events
 Woodside
toward Belmont Park
Location
Map

Grand Central Madison is a commuter rail terminal for the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) in the Midtown East neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Part of the East Side Access project, the new terminal started construction in 2008 and opened on January 25, 2023.[5] The station sits beneath Grand Central Terminal, which serves the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)'s Metro-North Railroad.[7]

Grand Central Madison was built to reduce travel times to and from Manhattan's East Side and to ease congestion at Penn Station, the West Side station where all Manhattan-bound LIRR trains had terminated since 1910. The new terminal enables passengers to transfer to Metro-North's Harlem, Hudson, and New Haven Lines, as well as the New York City Subway at Grand Central–42nd Street station.

Services

[edit]
A LIRR train of M9 cars on Track 303

The station serves the Long Island Rail Road's Main Line,[8] which connects to all passenger branches and almost all stations.[9] Service started on January 25, 2023 with a shuttle to Jamaica station.[5] Full service at the station began on February 27, 2023, with trains continuing beyond Jamaica to most branches.[10][11]

Passengers traveling to and from non-electrified portions of the LIRR system (e.g., the Oyster Bay Branch or the Port Jefferson Branch east of Huntington) must transfer between trains because the bilevel C3 coaches used in non-electrified areas cannot fit through the 63rd Street Tunnel.[12]

Grand Central Madison also provides an alternative route from the east side of Manhattan and from Metro-North lines to John F. Kennedy International Airport, via a connection with the AirTrain JFK people mover at the Jamaica station.[13]

History

[edit]
See also: East Side Access

Construction

[edit]
LIRR concourse construction, 2019

Formal proposals to bring Long Island Rail Road trains to the east side of Manhattan date to 1963.[14] In 1968, the 63rd Street Tunnel and a LIRR "Metropolitan Transportation Center" at 48th Street and Third Avenue were proposed as part of the Program for Action.[15] After people living near the proposed transportation center objected, the MTA's board of directors voted to route LIRR trains to Grand Central by 1977.[16] However, the LIRR project was postponed indefinitely during the 1975 New York City fiscal crisis.[17]

The East Side Access project was restarted after a study in the 1990s showed that more than half of LIRR riders work closer to Grand Central than to Penn Station.[18] The cost of the project, estimated at $4.4 billion in 2004, jumped to $6.4 billion in 2006[19] and to $11.1 billion by 2017.[20][21] In May 2022, the MTA announced that the station would be named Grand Central Madison[22][23][24] because it sits under Grand Central Terminal and the "Madison Avenue corridor".[25]

Opening and early years

[edit]

The LIRR received operational control of Grand Central Madison on December 9, 2022, upon which the station and tracks became subject to Federal Railroad Administration regulations.[26][27] The Grand Central Madison station's opening was delayed because of a single ventilation fan that could not exhaust enough air.[28][29] At the end of December 2022, the MTA postponed the station's opening to January 2023.[30][31] On January 23, an official opening date of January 25 was announced, paired with the first revenue service that morning.[32][33][5] The initial service was a shuttle, known as Grand Central Direct, to and from Jamaica station, with some trains running express and others making intermediate stops at Woodside, Forest Hills, and Kew Gardens.[5] The MTA then announced on February 8 that it would implement full service on February 27.[34]

The Biltmore Connection to Grand Central Terminal's Biltmore Room opened in May 2023.[35] The MTA upgraded cellular service within the Grand Central Madison station and surrounding tunnels in late 2023.[36][37] Additionally, at the time of the station's opening, the LIRR did not own a "rescue locomotive" that was small enough to tow disabled passenger trains through the 63rd Street Tunnel; its existing locomotives could only fit the larger dimensions of the East River Tunnels.[38] In early 2024, the MTA board voted to buy a battery-powered locomotive that could fit in the tunnel.[39]

Tracks Raw Bar and Grill became the first commercial tenant to sign a lease at Grand Central Madison in March 2024.[40] That April, the MTA issued a formal request for proposals for the station's retail space.[41][42] The station was to have separate dining and retail areas; the MTA planned to lease out all of the storefronts by 2026.[41] Parts of the station remained incomplete as late as August 2024, a year and a half after the station opened.[43]

Station layout

[edit]

The station has an area of 700,000 sq ft (65,000 m2), including 120,000 sq ft (11,000 m2) for passengers and 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m2) of retail space.[44][45] There are 22 elevators and 47 escalators in the station; the escalator count exceeds the number of escalators in the remainder of the LIRR system.[46]

Concourse

[edit]

The retail and dining concourse, called the Madison Concourse, is accessed from street level or the Metro-North terminal via stairwells and elevators.[47] It is located at the same level of the western part of Metro-North's Lower Level, underneath tracks 38 to 42 of Metro-North's Upper Level, and Vanderbilt Avenue.[48] The concourse contains a ticket office, ticketed waiting area, nursing room, and customer service office under 47th Street. It also has restrooms, ticket machines, and retail spaces throughout the concourse.[49] The only seating in the terminal is within the ticketed waiting area, which contains 29 seats; passengers can be fined $50 if they stay in the waiting area for more than 90 minutes. An MTA spokesperson said the rule was an extension of an existing restriction at Grand Central Terminal and that "a customer should not have to wait more than 90 minutes to catch their train, barring a significant service disruption".[50]

The LIRR terminal has entrances from Grand Central Terminal's Dining Concourse and Biltmore Room. Additionally, the MTA built and opened new entrances to the LIRR station at 45th, 46th, and 48th streets.[51][52] As of 2021, the 45th Street entrance alone was projected to serve 10,000 passengers per day.[53]

  • Gallery
  • Concourse entrance from the Metro-North terminal
    Concourse entrance from the Metro-North terminal
  • Wide-angle view of the concourse
    Wide-angle view of the concourse
  • Ticket counter and TVMs
    Ticket counter and TVMs
  • Ticketed waiting area
    Ticketed waiting area

Mezzanine

[edit]

A mezzanine sits on a center level between the LIRR's two track levels.[47][54] It is more than 140 ft (43 m) deep below Park Avenue,[48] and is connected to the Concourse via four banks of escalators up to 180 ft (55 m) long and descend more than 90 ft (27 m) under 45th, 46th, 47th, and 48th Streets,[49][53] in which one of its largest has more than five escalators.[55] One of these escalators is also the longest escalator in the city.[56] The escalators and elevators are among the few which are privately operated in the entire MTA system.[46] Additionally, the tiling around the sets of escalators and lights in the mezzanine near each set of escalators exhibits a degree of color coordination, with the set under 45th Street’s lighting and tiling in shades of light green, 46th Street’s in shades of blue, 47th Street’s in shades of purple and 48th Street’s in shades of cyan.

  • Gallery
  • Escalator cavern connecting the concourse and mezzanine
    Escalator cavern connecting the concourse and mezzanine
  • Artwork at the mezzanine level
    Artwork at the mezzanine level
  • Track entrance from the mezzanine
    Track entrance from the mezzanine

Platforms and tracks

[edit]
Lower level platforms viewed from the mezzanine

LIRR trains arrive and depart from the twin station caverns and through a tunnel located 140 ft (43 m) below Park Avenue and more than 90 ft (27 m) below the Metro-North tracks.[55][46][57]

The LIRR terminal contains four platforms and eight tracks (numbered 201–204 and 301–304) in two bi-level caverns.[58] There are four tracks and two platforms in each of the two caverns, with each cavern containing two tracks on one island platform per level.[47][54]

Exits

[edit]

The MTA originally planned to build and open entrances at 44th, 45th, 47th, and 48th Streets.[59]: 3 [51][60]: 5  The station connects to existing entrances at Grand Central North. The new LIRR station also contains entrances at 335 Madison Avenue, near the southeast corner with 44th Street; at 270 Park Avenue and 280 Park Avenue near 47th and 48th–49th Streets, respectively; and at 347 Madison Avenue, on the east side of the avenue at 45th Street. An entrance on 46th Street between Lexington and Park Avenue was also built, connecting with Grand Central North.[60]: 5–6  However, the MTA later announced its intent to defer construction of an entrance at 48th Street because the owner of 415 Madison Avenue wanted to undertake a major construction project on the site.[60]: 7  The MTA also connected the new station to the existing 47th Street cross-passage.[59]: 3 [51]

Art

[edit]
The Presence, a Kiki Smith mosaic

Like the art in the original Grand Central Terminal, the new station includes permanent site-specific works of art. Among them are five large glass mosaics on natural themes by Kiki Smith. The Madison Concourse level contains River Light, an 80 ft-long (24 m) abstract, largely blue-and-white depiction of sunshine on the East River.[61] The other four, one level down in the LIRR mezzanine, are: The Presence, a landscape with a deer; The Sound, a seascape with a gull; The Spring, featuring four turkeys; and The Water's Way, a beach scene. "I wanted places for people to say, 'Meet you by the deer'," Smith told the New York Times.[61]

The Madison Concourse level also holds an even larger 120 ft-long (37 m) mosaic by Yayoi Kusama: "A Message of Love, Directly from My Heart unto the Universe".[61]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "MTA Grand Central Madison Concourse Operating Company Rules and Regulations" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Retrieved May 14, 2024.
  2. ^ Miller, Linda G. (January 18, 2023). "Grand Central Madison to Set to Open". New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  3. ^ King, Darryn (January 25, 2023). "Grand Central Madison Opens Today, Featuring New Art From Yayoi Kusama And Kiki Smith". Forbes. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  4. ^ "East Side Access". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Introducing special Grand Central Direct service". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 23, 2022.
  6. ^ "Governor Hochul Celebrates Grand Central Madison's Inaugural Year". New York State. January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  7. ^ Rack, Yannic (November 5, 2015). "In "Caves" Below Grand Central, East Side Access Project on Track". The Villager. Archived from the original on January 25, 2019. Retrieved January 25, 2019.
  8. ^ "Capital Programs East Side Access". web.mta.info. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on February 3, 2018. Retrieved February 3, 2018.
  9. ^ "LIRR Map". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on May 29, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
  10. ^ "LIRR full service begins Monday, 2/27, at Grand Central Madison; train schedules to change". ABC7 New York. February 27, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  11. ^ Castillo, Alfonso A. (February 26, 2023). "East Side Access completed, LIRR riders get full service to Grand Central Madison Monday". Newsday. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  12. ^ "Chapter 28: Comments and Responses on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement". East Side Access Environmental Impact Statement (PDF). MTA Capital Construction. March 2001. p. 28.11. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  13. ^ Fox, Alison (January 26, 2023). "It Just Got Easier to Get to New York City from JFK Airport". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  14. ^ "Chapter 1: Purpose and Need". East Side Access Environmental Impact Statement (PDF). MTA Capital Construction. March 2001. p. 17 (PDF p. 20). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2018. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  15. ^ Witkin, Richard (February 29, 1968). "$2.9-BILLION TRANSIT PLAN FOR NEW YORK AREA LINKS SUBWAYS, RAILS, AIRPORTS; 2-PHASE PROPOSAL Program by Governor Calls for $1.6-Billion in First 10 Years 2-PHASE PROPOSAL FOR TRANSIT GIVEN" (PDF). The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 7, 2022. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  16. ^ "GRAND CENTRAL GETS VOTE AS L.I.R.R. SITE". The New York Times. July 9, 1977. Archived from the original on December 25, 2018. Retrieved December 24, 2018.
  17. ^ Andelman, David A. (October 11, 1980). "Tunnel Project, Five Years Old, Won't Be Used". The New York Times. p. 25. Archived from the original on July 22, 2018. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  18. ^ "Record of Decision (ROD) East Side Access Project" (PDF). US Department of Transportation. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved December 16, 2006.
  19. ^ Siff, Andrew (April 16, 2018). "MTA Megaproject to Cost Almost $1B More Than Prior Estimate". NBC New York. Archived from the original on April 17, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  20. ^ Castillo, Alfonso A. (April 15, 2018). "East Side Access price tag now stands at $11.2B". Newsday. Archived from the original on April 15, 2018. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  21. ^ Fitzsimmons, Emma G. (April 25, 2018). "As Cost of Train Link Passes $11 Billion, M.T.A.'s Credibility Shrinks". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 4, 2018. Retrieved October 4, 2018.
  22. ^ Siff, Andrew; Vazquez, Jennifer (May 31, 2022). "East Side Access Terminal Gets New Name 'Grand Central Madison'". NBC New York. Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  23. ^ Duggan, Kevin (May 31, 2022). "East Side Access project, renamed 'Grand Central Madison,' will increase LIRR service by 40%, Hochul says". amNewYork. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  24. ^ Siff, Andrew; Vazquez, Jennifer (March 29, 2022). "A Look Inside the New East Side Access Terminal 'Grand Central Madison'". NBC New York. Archived from the original on May 23, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  25. ^ "Governor Hochul Announces New Long Island Rail Road Terminal in Midtown Manhattan Will Be Named Grand Central Madison" (Press release). Office of Governor Kathy Hochul. November 7, 2014. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  26. ^ Brachfeld, Ben (December 11, 2022). "LIRR assumes operational control of Grand Central Madison, but still no opening date". amNewYork. Archived from the original on December 11, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  27. ^ Yanes, Darwin (December 11, 2022). "LIRR takes operational control of Grand Central Madison, MTA says". Newsday. Archived from the original on December 11, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2022.
  28. ^ Sanderson, Bill (December 21, 2022). "Balky ventilation fan last hurdle keeping LIRR trains from Grand Central". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  29. ^ Castillo, Alfonso A. (December 21, 2022). "MTA chairman Janno Lieber: East Side Access opening held up by exhaust fan". Newsday. Archived from the original on December 25, 2022. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  30. ^ Siff, Andrew (December 29, 2022). "Grand Central Madison Won't Open in 2022 - Here's Target Date for NYC's New LIRR Stop". NBC New York. Archived from the original on December 30, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  31. ^ Chayes, Matthew (December 29, 2022). "Grand Central Madison will not open in 2022, MTA says". Newsday. Archived from the original on December 29, 2022. Retrieved December 30, 2022.
  32. ^ Castillo, Alfonso A. (January 24, 2023). "LIRR Grand Central Madison service to begin on Wednesday". Newsday. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  33. ^ Siff, Andrew (January 23, 2023). "NYC's New LIRR Stop at Grand Central Madison Set to Open This Week - What to Know". NBC New York. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 24, 2023.
  34. ^ Simko-Bednarski, Evan (February 8, 2023). "Full LIRR service starting at Grand Central Terminal on Feb. 27". New York Daily News. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  35. ^ "MTA Announces Opening of Grand Central Madison Escalators and Elevator at 43rd Street into Historic Biltmore Room". City Life Org. May 8, 2023. Retrieved July 17, 2023.
  36. ^ Zou, Dandan (November 21, 2023). "LIRR commuters to get better cell service at Grand Central Madison, Atlantic Terminal, tunnels, MTA says". Newsday. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  37. ^ Wassef, Mira (November 21, 2023). "MTA upgrades cell service in LIRR tunnels, terminals". PIX11. Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  38. ^ Castillo, Alfonso A. (January 19, 2023). "LIRR doesn't have 'rescue locomotive' for East Side Access tunnels if power goes out". Newsday. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  39. ^ Castillo, Alfonso A. (February 15, 2024). "LIRR adding battery-powered 'rescue engine' for Grand Central Madison tunnels". Newsday. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  40. ^ Cook, Lauren (March 25, 2024). "beloved Penn Station haunt". PIX11. Retrieved March 30, 2024; Khalifeh, Ramsey (March 24, 2024). "LIRR commuter classic Tracks Bar to be MTA's first Grand Central Madison tenant". Gothamist. Retrieved March 30, 2024.
  41. ^ a b "Grand Central Madison: MTA eyes future of dining and retail at new LIRR terminal in New York City". ABC7 New York. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  42. ^ "MTA looks to add retail and dining to Grand Central Madison". Spectrum News NY1. April 2, 2024. Retrieved April 2, 2024; Mitchell, Ben (April 2, 2024). "MTA seeks master tenant for Grand Central Madison". PIX11. Retrieved April 2, 2024.
  43. ^ Khalifeh, Ramsey (August 4, 2024). "MTA still finishing 'miscellaneous' work at Grand Central Madison, 18 months after it opened". Gothamist. Retrieved August 6, 2024.
  44. ^ Chung, Jen (November 4, 2015). "Photos: Inside the MTA's "Mega" East Side Access Project, Opening in 2022ish". Gothamist. Archived from the original on December 8, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  45. ^ "Introducing LIRR service to Grand Central". MTA. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  46. ^ a b c Mann, Ted (April 26, 2012). "MTA Focuses on Ups, Downs". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  47. ^ a b c Dobnik, Verena (November 4, 2015). "Massive East Side Access Project Rolling On Under Grand Central". nbcnewyork.com. Archived from the original on December 1, 2019. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
  48. ^ a b "Assessment of The Upper Level Loop Alternative For the Manhattan Portion Of the East Side Access Project" (PDF). The Institute for Rational Urban Mobility, Inc. 2004. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 6, 2022. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  49. ^ a b "Everything you need to know about Grand Central Madison". MTA. Archived from the original on January 24, 2023. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
  50. ^ Brachfeld, Ben (March 27, 2023). "MTA will fine you up to $50 for sitting too long at Grand Central Madison". amNewYork. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  51. ^ a b c Ocean, Justin (November 4, 2015). "Inside the Massive New Rail Tunnels Beneath NYC's Grand Central". Bloomberg.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2018. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  52. ^ Long Island Rail Road Grand Central Service Madison Concourse Map (PDF) (Map). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on June 3, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  53. ^ a b Taku, Julio (November 2, 2021). "Hochul takes test run of delayed LIRR train to Grand Central scheduled to open in 2022". WSHU. Archived from the original on August 12, 2022. Retrieved June 3, 2022.
  54. ^ a b Brinton, Scott (August 21, 2018). "East Side Access transforming the LIRR". Herald Community Newspapers. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  55. ^ a b "East Side Access Project, Final Environmental Impact Statement" (PDF). p. 22. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 6, 2018. Retrieved December 16, 2006.
  56. ^ Waller, Derick (January 25, 2023). "Commuters can finally travel on LIRR to Grand Central". Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  57. ^ Kabak, Benjamin (April 30, 2012). "A look at the East Side Access escalators". Second Ave. Sagas. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  58. ^ Newman, Philip (February 10, 2016). "MTA OK's contract for East Side Access". TimesLedger. Archived from the original on February 14, 2016. Retrieved February 17, 2016.
  59. ^ a b "Appendix B: Upper Level Loop Analysis". East Side Access Modification to Environmental Impact Statement (PDF). MTA Capital Construction. April 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 25, 2014. Retrieved February 2, 2018. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
  60. ^ a b c "MTA LIRR East Side Access Environmental Re-Evaluation Consultation Form Review" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. May 4, 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 5, 2019.
  61. ^ a b c Loos, Ted (November 30, 2022). "Now Arriving: Yayoi Kusama and Kiki Smith's Grand Central Madison Mosaics". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
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