East Side Access completed, LIRR riders get full service to Grand Central Madison Monday
Gov. Kathy Hochul and Sen. Chuck Schumer, front, sitting, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, standing left, and MTA officials ride the Long Island Rail Road train to Jamaica station from Grand Central Madison, Sunday. Credit: Newsday/Debbie Egan-Chin
On the eve of the most radical transformation of the Long Island Rail Road’s service plan in decades, elected officials and transit leaders on Sunday celebrated the completion of East Side Access, and Monday’s launch of full service to Grand Central Madison.
A crowd of about 200 dignitaries gathered in the marble hallways of the new station to mark the occasion, which comes about 60 years after the plan to link the LIRR to Manhattan’s East Side was conceived, and about 25 years after the MTA formally took on the $11.1 billion effort.
“It’s been quite a journey,” Sen. Chuck Schumer told the audience. “The train is about to leave the station at long last.”
Full LIRR service to Grand Central Madison begins Monday. Credit: John Roca
“It’s long overdue. We won’t worry about that. It’s here,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “The day has finally arrived, when we start focusing on the needs of our commuters, hard working men and women looking to get to their jobs and back home to their families.”
The celebration belied a messy history for the megaproject, which ran about 13 years late and $7 billion over budget. MTA chairman Janno Lieber brought up one of the lowlights of the effort when he acknowledged that, in attendance at the ceremony, was the family of Michael O’Brien, a tunnel worker killed in 2011 when a slab of concrete fell on him. Lieber revealed a plaque honoring O’Brien that he said would be mounted in the new station.
When Lieber asked those who were involved in the project over its long history to stand, several dozen people rose from their seats, including three former LIRR presidents, and five former MTA chiefs. They all counted down to the unveiling of the railroad’s new schedules, as displayed on the station’s digital screens.
“We cannot wait to get going tomorrow on delivering this transformational service for our customers,” LIRR interim president Catherine Rinaldi said. “The Long Island Rail Road will shine like it never has before.”
The overhauled LIRR service plan taking effect Monday adds 271 trains to the schedule, for a total of 936 daily trains — 296 of which will serve Grand Central Madison. The project will bring several benefits, including shorter trips for passengers commuting to Manhattan’s East Side and more opportunities for “reverse commuters” traveling to and from jobs on Long Island.
However, several LIRR riders have derided the changes, which reduce morning service to Penn Station, do away with scheduled transfers, add local stops to several trains that currently run express, and require Brooklyn passengers to transfer to a shuttle train at Jamaica.
On the train ride back to Jamaica following the event, Schumer asked Lieber about how the MTA expects the new service plan will be received by LIRR riders.
“People are attached to their commutes,” Lieber said. “It may take a while for people to switch over.”
Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.
