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Everything you need to know about Grand Central Madison

It's a grand new day for the LIRR. See hours, directions, amenities, and more about our new east side terminal.

Welcome to Grand Central Madison! With the opening of our new station, located below the historic Grand Central Terminal, Long Island Rail Road service now goes directly to Manhattan's east side for the first time ever.

Read on for more information about the new terminal, its amenities, artwork you can check out, and more. 

Hours and directions

Grand Central Madison is located on the west side of the historic Grand Central Terminal, under Vanderbilt Avenue. 

The station will be closed every day from 2 a.m. to 5:30 a.m. During those hours, all Long Island Rail Road service to Manhattan will go to Penn Station.

Grand Central is served by the  subway lines. The LIRR platforms are at the lower level of the new station. Be sure to allow enough time to safely get downstairs and to your track.

Here's how long it may take you to get to the LIRR platforms: 

  • 47 Street or 48 Street: 4-5 minutes 
  • 42 Street, 43 Street, or : 6-8 minutes
  •  or Metro-North: 10-12 minutes 

 

An escalator bank in a train station with four escalators
Escalators lead from the concourse level to the LIRR tracks.
A train station with an escalator and a sign showing train times.
LIRR tracks at Grand Central are accessed via escalators on the mezzanine level.

Getting to the LIRR concourse

The most direct way to access LIRR trains from the street is via the entrance at 383 Madison Avenue, on the southeast corner of 47 Street. There are four other street-level entrances, all of which are accessible: 

  • North side of 42 Street east of Madison Avenue
  • Southwest corner of 43 Street and Vanderbilt Avenue
  • North side of 44 Street between Madison and Vanderbilt Avenues (elevator only) 
  • North side of 48 Street between Madison and Park Avenues (elevator only) 

The shortest route from the subway to the LIRR concourse is via the One Vanderbilt entrance next to the 42 St  platform. 

If you're already in Grand Central Terminal or coming from a Metro-North train, you can enter the LIRR concourse via these entrances, all of which are accessible: 

  • West side of the Dining Concourse
  • Track 112 platform
  • 45 and 47 Street cross passageways in Grand Central North

About the station

The station is parallel to the Manhattan street grid, with its north end at 48 Street and south end at 43 Street. Each cross street between 45 and 48 Streets has its own artwork and color to make navigation easier. 

The Ticket Office, ticketed waiting area, nursing room, and customer service office are located at 47 Street. You’ll find restrooms, ticket machines, and digital signs throughout the concourse. Shops and restaurants will open on this level in the future.

There are no waiting areas or restrooms in the platform areas, so we recommend waiting at the concourse level until your train has been announced.

The station is home to several new artworks by world-renowned artists. There are two large-scale, site-specific murals by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, and American artist Kiki Smith. The station also features digital artwork by Gabriel Barcia-Colombo, Jordan Brauner, and Red Nose Studio; and an exhibit curated by the International Center of Photography featuring photographs by Paul Pfeiffer. 

Throughout the station you will also see original artwork from Long Island students depicting Long Island landmarks.

Artwork at Grand Central Madison

Contact us

LIRR customer ambassadors will be out at Grand Central Madison to help you navigate the new terminal. If you need help boarding or exiting a the train, you can speak to a LIRR Care representative. They're stationed at the customer service office on the Madison Concourse between 46 and 47 Streets.

If you have other questions, contact us. You can also get customer support through the TrainTime app.