Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Gov. Hochul calls for more rush hour trains after bumpy first week of Grand Central Madison service
By
Phil Corso
Published Mar 5, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
J. Conrad Williams/Newsday RM via Getty Images
By
Phil Corso
Published Mar 5, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A tumultuous opening week for Grand Central Madison train service has Gov. Kathy Hochul calling on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to get back on track.
The MTA launched its full service for Grand Central Madison at the beginning of last week, sending trains into the new station on Manhattan’s East Side underneath Grand Central Terminal. But the transition was far from smooth, with commuters hustling up and down stairs to catch connecting trains and packing into cars for the last legs of their trips. That ultimately led Hochul on Sunday to direct the MTA to modify its service starting Monday with more rush hour service to Brooklyn and longer cars servicing Penn Station.
"The historic opening of Grand Central Madison marked the first expansion of LIRR service in 100 years, and to ensure the new terminal's success, we must be responsive to the needs of our commuters," Hochul said in a statement. "Customers deserve a world-class commuting experience, and that's what we are working hard to accomplish with these changes. We are committed to continuing to listen, monitor, and make changes to deliver high-quality service, communication, and consistency to New Yorkers."
The move required some trains that used to service Penn Station of Atlantic Terminal to instead travel into the new station, forcing some commuters who used to take direct trains to transfer at Jamaica instead.
Hochul said the Long Island Rail Road would be upping its rush hour service to Brooklyn by adding trains throughout the coming week. The goal, she said, was an average of nine minutes between trains at Jamaica during peak hours Monday, with even more frequent service starting Tuesday. The governor also said 17 trains going into the Penn Station will be lengthened, along with other cars that exceeded passenger capacity last week.
"Changes made starting late last week and those scheduled to take effect Monday are data-driven adjustments to reduce wait times and lessen crowding where it occurs," said Catherine Rinaldi, interim Long Island Rail Road president and president of Metro-North. "We had said we were looking at every train and every line to assess where customers were not getting the level of service they and we expect. These changes are steps toward ensuring a better experience going forward, while continuing to run more overall service to more NYC terminals than the LIRR ever has before. We will continue to monitor ridership trends and loading conditions and make adjustments as necessary."
Brooklyn riders were advised to check the TrainTime smartphone app for new Jamaica-Atlantic Terminal options.
The governor also directed the MTA to expand its customer service presence to help commuters through the transition.
Tagged
new york city
transportation
Phil Corso
Phil Corso is the evening news editor at WNYC/Gothamist. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Mamdani names re-entry specialist as chair of Rikers oversight board
Christopher Watler will help the department that a federal monitor says remains in crisis.
By
Ryan Kost
Published Oct 6, 2026 at 3:52 p.m. ET
NYC weighs expanding upstate reservoir following drought
The Delaware River Basin Commission is evaluating options to increase water storage, including expanding a reservoir in New York City.
By
Rosemary Misdary
News
NYC weighs expanding upstate reservoir following drought
The Delaware River Basin Commission is evaluating options to increase water storage, including expanding a reservoir in New York City.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Legionella found in Staten Island building's water system after 2 positive cases
By
Catalina Gonella
Legal 'loophole' helps NY Gov. Kathy Hochul, Bruce Blakeman raise millions
By
Jon Campbell
Police identify 2 men wanted for stabbing an off-duty NYPD officer
By
Ben Feuerherd
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .