Plan To Bring LIRR Service To East Side On Track To Start In 2022: MTA

LONG ISLAND, NY — A project that will bring long-awaited Long Island Rail Road trains to the East Side of Manhattan that's been years in the making is still slated to open by the end of 2022, MTA officials told Patch Tuesday.

According to the MTA's website, the project known as East Side Access will culminate with the opening of Grand Central Madison, a new terminal along Madison Avenue between 43rd and 48th Streets.

Not only will the new terminal mean easier access to the East Side for Long Island commuters, it will save those same passengers up to 40 minutes of travel time per day, the MTA said.

And, according to an MTA representative, the project symbolizes a "huge increase to service, with 41 percent more trains system-wide on the LIRR."

Those increases will primarily benefit the electric portions of LIRR service, MTA official said.

According to the MTA site, about 45 percent of LIRR commuters are expected to go to Grand Central Madison, so there will be less crowding at Penn Station and the surrounding subway lines.

Therefore, the new service to Grand Central will increase peak hour capacity, "and — in combination with the Double Track and LIRR Expansion Project — will make true reverse commuting between Manhattan and Long Island a reality," the MTA said.

According to the MTA, when the project is complete, trains at Harold Interlocking, a railroad junction that serves both Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road, will be able to pass through more efficiently. This will benefit travelers all along the northeast corridor.

Highlights of the project, according to the MTA, include direct connection for all 11 LIRR lines to Grand Central Terminal and Midtown East; a new, 350,000-square-foot terminal with spacious waiting areas, retail and restaurants, real-time departure information, and free wife; more than 160,000 passengers per day saving as much as 40 minutes on their trips; two new tunnels that will increase train capacity to and from Manhattan by up to 5o percent; less crowding at Penn Station; and improvements to and expansion of Harold Interlocking, a critical piece of the Northeast Corridor

According to the MTA, plans were first proposed in 1963 and then, commenced in 1998; the years since have been long, with total costs for the project now projected at $11.1 billion, an estimate that has remained fixed since new MTA CEO Janno Lieber took the helm, MTA reps said.

At an MTA update on Tuesday, MTA President of Construction and Development Jamie Torres-Springer spoke, saying a "project of this size is an enormous task. It is many times larger than Grand Central's existing terminal. As Janno Lieber says, 'It's like laying the Chrysler building on its side.'"

According to Torres-Springer, currently, all the escalators and elevators are running, and the fire alarms are fully functional within the projected time frame. What currently being done is system testing and commissioning to make sure all is functioning properly "to keep riders safe, which is of paramount importance."

Torres-Springer said the "long pole in the tent is finalizing testing of our air flow system," something that's being worked on 24/7, including adjustments. "We won't open a new facility without having this signed off on, so we can be sure of the safety of our riders," Torres-Springer said.

But, he added, he fully anticipates that plans to open in 2022 will be on track.

"We don't have an exact date yet, but we are confident about opening service this year," he said.

According to an MTA rep who spoke with Patch, the project is not delayed, despite some media reports.

The project is still expected to reach "beneficial use", or opening day, on time in 2022. But that being said, as with any multi-million dollar project, there is still a punch list of items, including polishing, painting, and other tasks, that may continue on into 2023. "You will still see people in orange vests," in 2023, even though the new terminal will have been open and operating since 2022, he said. Only when all the punch list items are checked off will the project reach the "close out and demobilization" stage.

"We are committed to opening the terminal this year. It's just a question of when," the representative said.