Grand Central Madison — the new, 700,000 sure foot Long Island Rail Road terminal that’s nearing completion under Grand Central Terminal, is one of the most eagerly awaited conveniences for New York’s commuters. It was scheduled to open in early December but on Monday the MTA said that it won’t be fully operational till the start of 2023 and no opening date has yet been announced.
In the interim, however, special shuttle trains will begin operating between the LIRR’s Jamaica station and Grand Central Madison, beginning when facility systems testing is complete, to enable the public to begin exploring the new terminal and its route while the LIRR continues to maintain full existing schedules to Penn Station, the MTA said.
Grand Central Direct trains will operate between Grand Central Madison and Jamaica every 30 minutes during middays and on weekends, and hourly during weekday rush periods. They will be overlaid as additions to the LIRR’s existing timetables to ensure there are no changes to existing trains to Penn Station and other destinations, the MTA said.
During the shuttle period, the LIRR will have customer ambassadors on the Grand Central Madison concourse to greet customers and offer information about the new space.
The special Grand Central Direct service will wrap up with the initiation of full train service; the MTA will provide at least three weeks’ notice before the new full schedules go into effect.
“It isn’t every day that customers get access to a world-class new train terminal, so we wanted to open up the opportunity to see the space weeks in advance of the full-scale new service going into effect,” said Catherine Rinaldi, interim president, MTA Long Island Rail Road and President, MTA Metro-North Railroad. “Customers who are curious about the new terminal will be able to try it out, and we hope anyone who wants to will come take a look at the impressive new space.”
The new terminal is the largest passenger rail terminal to be built in the country in 67 years and has been one of the largest transportation infrastructure projects in the United States in recent years, the MTA said. The two-level caverns support four platforms and eight tracks, and upon opening, will provide Long Island’s commuters direct access to Manhattan’s east side, offer new commuting opportunities for reverse peak travelers, and enhance New York’s regional connectivity.
When the LIRR begins full service to Grand Central Madison, it will introduce the largest schedule increase in LIRR history, adding 269 trains per weekday, a 41 percent systemwide service increase, to 936 trains per weekday from the current 667, officials said.
Other benefits include more evenly spaced trains and fewer gaps in service; more frequent service to Queens and on the Ronkonkoma and West Hempstead branches; a 28 percent increase in Brooklyn service; decreased travel times from Long Island to Manhattan; and less crowding in Penn Station.”
