NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority remains mum on its date to open Grand Central Madison, the new Long Island Rail Road station beneath Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan. But that date has moved one step closer with the announcement that operational control of the facility has shifted from MTA Construction and Development, the agency responsible for building the terminal, to the LIRR.
The MTA announced Sunday that control had been transferred at noon on Friday, Dec. 9, a shift overseen by the Federal Railroad Administration.
“Today’s announcement means that Grand Central Madison is formally changing from a construction site to a railroad terminal,” said Catherine Rinaldi, interim president of the LIRR as well as president of the Metro-North Railroad. “This is a historic, major milestone for the project. The LIRR is delighted to have received this extraordinary nearly completed new train terminal and railroad staff are looking forward to safely beginning train service for customers.”
The MTA has said it expects the terminal to open this year. Testing continues, both for railroad operations and from a construction standpoint, the MTA said, with contractors testing air flow and safety systems, as well as escalators and elevators.
Construction began on the more than $11 billion East Side Access project — which will allow LIRR trains to serve both Grand Central and Penn Station — in 2007. At one time, it was projected to open in 2009; that opening date gradually was pushed back, but the 2022 opening date has held steady since at least 2015. The facility received its Grand Central Madison name earlier this year [see “East Side Access terminal gets new name,” Trains News Wire, June 1, 2022].
Share this article
