New Yorkers are about to get a critical commuter service they’ve waited years for: the Long Island Rail Road will run to Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal.
(Bloomberg) — New Yorkers are about to get a critical commuter service they’ve waited years for: the Long Island Rail Road will run to Manhattan’s Grand Central Terminal.
The LIRR will begin limited service on Wednesday for at least three weeks with riders changing trains at the Jamaica stop in Queens during the initial launch. Direct service into Grand Central will roll out after that, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Officials at the MTA, which operates New York City’s subways, buses and commuter rail lines, and Governor Kathy Hochul last year promised a December 2022 opening that was since postponed to January. The $11.1 billion project, originally called East Side Access, has suffered years of delays and billions in cost overruns. Construction began in 2001.
“Just a 22 minute ride from Jamaica to the East Side of Manhattan!” Hochul tweeted Monday night. “Improving commutes and quality of life for New Yorkers — and with more service starting soon.”
The additional service will allow Long Island commuters to arrive on the east side of midtown Manhattan rather than Penn Station on the west side. It will save about 160,000 passengers as much as 40 minutes of commuting time, according to the MTA. The transit provider anticipates about 45% of LIRR riders will choose to arrive at Grand Central, relieving persistent crowding at Penn Station.
The long-awaited project comes as the MTA is working to restore ridership as many employees opt to work at least part of the week from home. Weekend LIRR ridership is about 75% of 2019 usage while weekday ridership is about 65%, according to MTA data.
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