How much did the Grand Central Madison station cost?

Also, the uniquely American price tag is a real downer: $11 billion, which is $7 billion overbudget thanks to contractor woes, delays, and labor costs, not counting debt service.



The final cost of the Grand Central Madison station (the centerpiece of the "East Side Access" project in New York City) reached approximately $11.6 billion. Originally estimated at $4.4 billion in 2004, the project faced decades of delays, technical challenges 140 feet below the streets of Manhattan, and rising material costs. Opened in early 2023, it is the first major terminal expansion for the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) in over a century. In 2026, additional smaller investments (up to $50 million) are still being made to finalize specific entrances—such as the 45th Street and Madison Avenue corridor—and to enhance the digital wayfinding systems. Despite the staggering price tag, the terminal serves over 17 million passengers annually, significantly reducing commute times for those traveling from Long Island to the East Side of Manhattan.

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It was made possible by the $1 trillion infrastructure bill approved by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in 2021, Schumer said. The cost of the new tunnel under the Hudson River has climbed to $16.1 billion, an estimate that is 14% higher than a 2021 projection.

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In 1989, the room was boarded up in preparation for its restoration in 1991. During the process, a temporary waiting room was established on an upper level of the terminal. Around 1998, the renovated hall was renamed in honor of the Vanderbilt family, which built and owned the station.

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The Station Narrowly Escaped Demolition Accordingly, the Penn Central railroad line that controlled Grand Central wanted to tear it down. Skyscrapers were proposed to take its place, but luckily those plans never came to be.

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Grand Central Madison is huge — more than 700,000 square feet. And it's deep — stretching about 150 feet below the street, which is 15 stories. Navigating the space takes time.

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It's the largest train station in the world Grand Central Terminal is spread over 49 acres, has 44 platforms and 67 tracks on two levels. It is the world's largest train station by number of platforms and area occupied.

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PLATFORMS: Grand Central has 44 platforms, making it the largest train station in the world. Penn Station has 11.

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Technically called “Tunnel Street,” the three-block-long passage is the city's only underground street, according to 6sqft. It serves as a Broadway entrance to the 191st Street subway station, which, at 175 feet underground, is the deepest in the system.

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The Holland Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel under the Hudson River that connects Hudson Square and Lower Manhattan in New York City in the east to Jersey City, New Jersey in the west. The tunnel is operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and carries Interstate 78.

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