LIRR takes operational control of Grand Central Madison, MTA says

Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials on Sunday announced that the operational control of the new Grand Central Madison terminal has been transferred to the Long Island Rail Road, a significant procedural step toward opening the new terminal, officials said.

Though the MTA acknowledged last month that parts of its long-delayed East Side Access megaproject will not be ready this year, officials have said they are still planning to run LIRR trains to Grand Central Terminal by the end of 2022.

By transferring control to the LIRR, the rail operations at Grand Central Madison terminal and the tunnels are now federally regulated railroad territory, officials announced in a news release. The official transfer of control, which occurred on Friday, was overseen by the Federal Railroad Administration, the release noted.

“Today’s announcement means that Grand Central Madison is formally changing from a construction site to a railroad terminal,” interim LIRR president Catherine Rinaldi said in a statement. “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 $11.1 billion East Side Access project aims to cut commuting times for some passengers by linking the LIRR to a new 700,000-square foot terminal at Grand Central, providing a critical second route onto and off of Manhattan.

The MTA said contractors are currently testing airflow, life safety systems, escalators and elevators that are essential for the operation of Grand Central Madison. Last month, the MTA noted that a safety issue with the airflow systems inside the station was the key obstacle in bringing East Side Access over the finish line.

Grand Central Madison, which the MTA said is the largest passenger rail terminal to be built in the country in 67 years, is expected to open before the year's end, officials said. Once it is fully operational, the terminal will add 269 trains per weekday — a 40% systemwide service increase, to 936 trains per weekday from the current 667, according to the MTA.

With Alfonso A. Castillo