Long Island Rail Road begins full service at Grand Central Madison
NEW YORK - Monday marked the first full day of Long Island Rail Road service to the new Grand Central Madison station.
"To be here today in the beautiful new Grand Central Madison concourse is a thrill," LIRR Interim President and Metro-North Railroad President Catherine Rinaldi said at a press conference. "This project has been in planning and development since the 1960s, and it is revolutionizing travel across the entire region."
RELATED: President Biden visits NYC to tout funding for Gateway Tunnel
The move is intended to give commuters on Long Island easier access to the East Side of Manhattan and is getting rave reviews… mostly.
LIRR service changes leaving Long Island riders angry
Long Island Rail Road riders who take the Oyster Bay branch every day to and from the city say that beginning Monday, their commute will be worse than it's ever been when new LIRR schedules go into effect as the railroad launches full service to Grand Central Madison on the East Side.
The MTA has admitted that not everyone is benefiting equally from the expanded service, which officials say will increase weekday LIRR service by 41% and operate up to 24 trains an hour.
Oyster Bay riders say that the additional stop is causing longer commute times, and with trains diverted, the Grand Central - Penn Station riders will see fewer trains.
The faster pace means no more scheduled connections at Jamaica.
The project, which cost more than $11B to build, ran more than a decade behind schedule and billions of dollars over budget. But riders who spoke to FOX 5 NY said they were thrilled with the new station.
For branch-by-branch service summaries, visit this link.