Grand Central Madison street entrance at 45th Street and Madison Avenue is now open, giving passengers another route into the Midtown terminal. The access point serves MTA Long Island Rail Road, MTA Metro-North Railroad and MTA New York City Transit subway connections.

Grand Central Madison street entrance opens in Midtown
Photo: Marc Hermann/MTA

New Access For Grand Central Madison Riders

The entrance is equipped with an elevator, three escalators and a staircase. In the MTA press release, the agency said these additions improve accessibility at Grand Central Madison, which is used by more than 72,000 riders each day.

The added capacity is also connected to crowd management during the World Cup. MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said regular Penn Station commuters would be encouraged to shift to Grand Central Madison to avoid congestion. Those riders, he said, would find “a first-class, world-class terminal” with easier access to the center of Midtown at 45th Street and Madison Avenue.

BXP Partnership Behind The Entrance

The work was delivered through a partnership with BXP, the private developer chosen in 2020 to redevelop the former MTA headquarters site as an office building. Demolition began in February 2021, and BXP built the station entrance before proceeding with the office development.

MTA retains ownership of the underlying site. The redevelopment plan is expected to generate more than $1 billion in rent and tax revenues, with that money directed to the MTA capital program.

Public-Private Model For Transit Improvements

Jamie Torres-Springer, president of MTA Construction & Development, framed the project as an example of how public-private partnerships can support transit investment. He said such partnerships help build the system New Yorkers deserve “better, faster, and cheaper.”

For riders, the change is practical: a new Midtown access point, more vertical circulation and added capacity during major travel periods. For the MTA, the entrance also connects station improvements with a redevelopment plan expected to support future capital investment. The agency’s Grand Central Madison station page also lists the terminal as an accessible Long Island Rail Road station, with Metro-North and subway connections nearby.