MTA Moves Closer To Opening New LIRR East Side Terminal
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Today, Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Construction & Development leaders, including MTA President of Construction and Development Jamie Torres-Springer, provided a tour of the nearly completed Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) terminal, Grand Central Madison, located beneath Grand Central Terminal and Madison Avenue from 43rd Street to 48th Street. Tour attendees included Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, MTA Board Member Andrew Albert, and staff from the office of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The mezzanine, concourse, ticketing areas, platforms, the train operation center, escalators, and retail spaces were viewed along the tour.
“We’re working around the clock to complete this enormous project which will prove to be transformative for the region,” said Grand Central Madison Concourse Operating Company President Rob Troup, “It’s always great to host visits from elected officials and others who have an interest in seeing the great progress we’ve made on the new terminal.”
Connecting LIRR passengers directly to the East Side of Manhattan will provide enormous benefits to the entire downstate region. Approximately 50% of LIRR riders currently travel to the East Side after arriving at Penn Station. Passengers disembarking at Grand Central Madison will result in alleviated congestion for those wishing to travel through Penn Station. The new 700,000-square-foot terminal and its additional rail service is the largest expansion of LIRR service since the original Penn Station and East River Tunnel opened 112 years ago. Grand Central Madison is expected to open to the public by the end of the year.