Grand Central Madison deadline looms large

Only a few months ago, all signs were pointing to the imminent opening of Grand Central Madison — Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s new, fully operational terminal in Manhattan’s East Side meant to redefine the way commuters get around by putting the Long Island Railroad to full use with a new terminal station.

The MTA has conducted a number of public meetings explaining new commuting patterns in the wake of updated train schedules. Top MTA and LIRR executives hosted private leadership events enlisting the help of business leaders and local leaders to hammer home the message: Grand Central Madison is coming by the end of this year, so get ready.

Passengers might have been ready, but the MTA apparently may not. Yet, the state organization has not veered from its message — the latest flurry of public advertisements relaying the sweeping words “All aboard for Grand Central!”

With the end-of-the-year deadline looming and still no official word about when Grand Central Madison might open, some observers have begun to question whether commuters will have to reset expectations about what they’re getting. At least while the calendar still reads 2022. 

One thing is certain: it has been a complicated final stretch of construction for the $11.6 billion mega-project.

The MTA cleared a regulatory hurdle last month that would have otherwise derailed any hopes of opening train service thanks to a federal waiver that pushed the deadline for engineers to install new federally mandated safety technology meant to prevent Amtrak trains from entering East River tunnels until February.

MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan says passengers should be rest-assured technology is already in place that helps prevent trains from speeding, colliding or derailing. In the meantime, the MTA will have to submit weekly safety reports to the Federal Railroad Administration, and conduct tests before the terminal goes online.

Then came a project update that parts of the LIRR’s concourse and facilities at Grand Central won’t be completed until February. That, at least, according to a capital program committee meeting report from last month citing the need for additional time.

“Opening a facility this size is an enormous task,” said Jamie Torres-Springer, president of MTA Construction & Development, during that meeting. “It is a 700,000-square-foot terminal station with three-and-a-half tunnels to Queens attached to it. It’s like laying the Chrysler Building on its side to get a sense of the complexity of the systems that need to operate to make this concourse, terminal and platforms function.”

Torres-Springer is, nevertheless, holding fast to the MTA’s promise that passenger trains will run at Grand Central by the deadline.

“I want to emphasize that the terminal is complete in every visible and functional way,” he said. “The escalators and elevators are running, and the fire alarm is installed. So the project is looking great, and we’re confident about opening service this year.”

Torres-Springer noted, however, that while systems are installed, they are currently undergoing testing and commissioning to ensure the project meets safety and operational standards. A major challenge currently at play is finalizing the test of the terminal’s airflow system.

“This is to confirm that we can move air quickly throughout the platform and the concourse in the event of a smoke condition,” he said. Testing “becomes very complex, and there’s a lot of (professionals) involved to make sure the system is safe.

“Obviously we won’t open our facilities before we are signed off on the safety of the system.”

Over the weekend, LIRR took over operational control of Grand Central Madison, making the terminal and tunnels federally regulated railroad territory. MTA officials described that as a significant step to getting the station up and running before the end of the year.

Have an opinion on Grand Central Madison? Send an email to jlasso@liherald.com.