Where are the LIRR tracks in Grand Central?

LIRR tracks at Grand Central are accessed via escalators on the mezzanine level.



The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) tracks are located in the massive, new Grand Central Madison terminal, which sits approximately 140 feet (15 stories) beneath the historic Metro-North Grand Central Terminal. In 2026, this high-tech "city beneath a city" features eight tracks (numbered 201–204 on the upper level and 301–304 on the lower level) housed within two giant caverns. To reach them, you must use a series of high-speed escalators—the longest in the MTA system—located off the "Madison Concourse," which stretches from 43rd to 48th Streets. A high-value peer tip for 2026: allow at least 10 to 12 minutes to walk from the 42nd St subway or the Metro-North dining concourse to your LIRR platform. The terminal is a world-class engineering feat, offering a high-value "East Side" alternative to Penn Station for thousands of daily commuters, complete with modern digital signage and integrated "wayfinding" that makes the deep descent surprisingly easy to navigate.

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Transit service is available from New York Penn Station. Customers should take the uptown 1, 2 or 3 subway lines and take them one stop, to Times Square-42 St., where they change to the 42nd Street Shuttle (S) train, for a one-stop ride to Grand Central Terminal.

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VIPs who want to avoid the public gaze have used a top-secret track, known as Track 61, to get around. It connects to an elevator that goes directly into the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. One such VIP, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, is believed to have used it to hide his polio from the public.

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Common Questions About Grand Central Terminal The difference is very slight. Grand Central Terminal refers to the MTA Metro North train lines that run into and out of the tracks. GCT is the terminal line, meaning trains stop there and don't run through. Grand Central Station refers to the subway station inside GCT.

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Follow the signs (or take an elevator) But what if you are arriving on a Metro-North train? It might come in on the upper concourse level (tracks 11-42) or lower level (101-117).

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Commuters rave about Grand Central Madison, even if it's hard to find. 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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Tickets to Grand Central are the same price as those to Penn Station, Hunterspoint Avenue, or Atlantic Terminal. You can use most tickets for one of these stations to any of them without an additional charge.

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The brass center inside of the booth features a door, which leads to a spiral staircase used by employees to get from the lower level to the main floor, and vice versa.

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A good New Yorker can do this is about 15 minutes and be outside only for about 60% of the walk. Grand Central and Penn Station on which Madison Square Garden is built have labyriths of subway tunnels and exits. The exits will go for several avenues and streets. Also stores like Macy's go the entire block.

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It's like 8-10 blocks depending where you exit Penn Station. Times Square is always busy. Avoid rush hour if you don't want to be in the way. If for some reason you can't walk 10 blocks or just really want to help fund the MTA, take the 1/2/3 subway, M20 bus on 8th Ave, or M7 bus on 6th Ave to 42nd St.

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The 42 St Shuttle operates in Manhattan between Grand Central and Times Square. The shuttle provides a free transfer between 4, 5, 6, and 7 service at Grand Central-42 St and A, C, E, N, Q, R, 1, 2, 3, and 7 service at Times Square-42 St.

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