Summary
- New Transportation Hub: Grand Central Madison station opens new connections for travelers.
- Operational Hours: Trains operate at flexible schedules for easy commuting.
- Enhanced Amenities: The station features artistic installations and modern facilities.
There’s a new way to get to New York City from John F. Kennedy International airport thanks to a long-awaited train station now open in the middle of Manhattan.
The Grand Central Madison station, which opened on Wednesday, will offer a new hub for both commuters and travelers via the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). Travelers coming from JFK can connect to the JFK AirTrain, as usual, but after arriving in Jamaica, Queens, visitors can now transfer to a train heading to Grand Central Terminal on Manhattan’s East Side, in addition to Penn Station.
“Grand Central Madison is a game changer for New Yorkers, and I look forward to welcoming Long Island commuters to our tremendous new terminal,” New York’s Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “Infrastructure is all about connections, and this project is an extraordinary step forward to better connect millions of New Yorkers with their homes, their families and their jobs.”
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Trains will run in the new station between 6:15 a.m. and 8 p.m. on weekdays and between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. on weekends. Moreover, trains will run every 30 minutes in both directions, except during peak periods when they will operate once per hour.
The new station is the first expansion of the LIRR in 112 years, according to the governor’s office.
“We are so excited to welcome the first generation of LIRR customers who will now have a choice about whether to go to the west side or the east side,” LIRR Interim President and Metro-North President Catherine Rinaldi said in the statement. “This is the dawn of a new era for the railroad, no less important than [the] opening of the LIRR’s service to Penn Station in 1910.”
The new station welcomes travelers with brightly-lit halls and glass mosaics, including an 875-square-foot abstract and figurative mosaic by Yayoi Kusama entitled “A Message of Love, Directly from My Heart unto the Universe.”
From Grand Central, travelers can also connect to the 4, 5, 6, 7, and S subway lines, as well as the Metro-North Railroad, which services areas north of the city, including Westchester.
