E.M., Westbury LIRR commuters weigh in on new terminal

By MAlloRY WIlSoN mwilson@liherald.com

After years of planning, construction, and deadline changes, Grand Central Madison finally opened to the public on Jan. 25.

The 700,000-square-foot modern, sleek and clean station is expected to save Long Island Rail Road passengers 40 minutes on their trips, according to the MTA website.

The terminal runs along Madison Avenue between 43rd and 48th streets and accommodates all 11 LIRR lines. The benefits include less crowding at Penn Station and the nearby subway stations, and easier access to the

East side of Manhattan.

East Meadow residents have mixed opinions on whether or not the new terminal will benefit their commute.

Limited shuttle service will be operating between Grand Central and Jamaica until midFebruary. Trains will run hourly during peak periods and every 30 minutes during middays and weekends. Riders looking to go to Grand Central Madison can use their Penn Station tickets, which are the same price.

“This is a trial period that’s why it’s only departing from Jamaica and taking longer,”

Roselle Koutsogiannis, a Westbury resident, wrote to the Her- ald. “I took a look at the schedule. I think my commute from Westbury will be a few minutes quicker. The only good thing for me is it’s a much more doable walk from (Grand Central) and I can avoid the subway.”

The first ride from Jamaica to Grand Central Madison was a big event with. Gov. Kathy Hochul was joined by trainenthusiasts, railway commuters, and MTA representatives for the first ride to the new station.

With new terminals, comes plenty of trial and error. With limited train schedules, some East Meadow and Westbury riders had differing opinions about whether the new station will have a positive impact on their ride to and from work.

Alexandra Munoz from East Meadow, who took a train out of Grand Central Madison back to the Bellmore station, wrote that she liked it because, “I don’t have to get in the subway. It works for me. It’s a big station, very nice. There were a lot of LIRR employees around assisting customers.”

Regina Isakova from East Meadow said that the commute in the mornings from Bellmore or Merrick makes the trip longer. “The wait between the trains to GCM can be up to 30 minutes. Who has that kind of time to waste?” Isakova wrote. “There are several express trains to Penn Station in the morning that Continued on page 2