Grand Central Madison marks a new era in commuter rail in New York City. Connecting the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR)—the nation’s busiest commuter rail service—to Grand Central Terminal for the first time, the transformative project formerly known as East Side Access expands LIRR capacity, eases congestion at Penn Station and improves travel times for commuters.
STV has played a key role in the project since its inception, preparing the initial feasibility study and Major Investment Study to enable the project to receive Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funding. As part of a tri-venture with WSP USA Inc. and Parsons Corporation, STV provided tunnel, structures, systems, terminal design and environmental engineering services for the monumental program.
As the largest single construction program ever undertaken by MTA Construction & Development, the new connection will dramatically shorten travel time for Long Island and Queens commuters traveling to the east side of Manhattan.
The new station features eight tracks and four platforms across two levels below Grand Central Terminal. Housing retail and restaurant spaces, spacious waiting areas, and real-time departure information, the station is fully accessible with unique wayfinding. Geotechnical challenges and the busiest, most complex interlocking in North America presented major challenges for the tri-venture design team, who deployed innovative techniques and approaches to deliver this project.
Grand Central Madison received the 2024 Empire Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies of New York—the highest recognition from the organization.
50%
increase in train capacity
30 minutes
saved for commuters
65%
increase in reverse-peak weekday trains
