WATCH: New Flushing Line Passageway at Grand Central Terminal Now Open
Written by Jennifer McLawhorn, Managing Editor
MTA Chair & CEO Janno Lieber and MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer announce the completion of a new transfer tunnel to the 7 line platform at Grand Central-42 St on Tuesday, Feb 25, 2025.
(Marc A. Hermann / MTA)
NEW YORK CITY - The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has finished a new passageway and staircase to the Flushing Line platform as well as widened staircases at Grand Central Terminal.
According to a release from Governor Hochul’s office, these efforts come as part of the Grand Central-42 Street Circulations Improvement Project, designed to “improve passenger flow and minimize congestion for 480,000 daily customers on the 7 train line.” In addition to the new staircase at the Flushing Line platform, crews also worked to widen existing staircases by 25% to connect to the Lexington Passageway. This widening allows for more customers to flow through. Other work included “repairing visible concrete, steel, and paint defects on the Flushing Line cavern roof arch and walls and upgrades to fire alarms and other utilities at the Flushing, Lexington and Shuttle.” Overall, the project work necessitated the creation of over 250 jobs.
A few years prior, the City Council adopted the East Midtown Rezoning to allow property rent revenue to fund improvements to transit. Last year, the release states that crews descended a 55-foot shaft to remove 1,000 tons of dirt and blast though bedrock to create a new passageway beneath 42 St. A YouTube video from the MTA below demonstrates the controlled blasts. Other station improvements include cleaning, lighting, and retrofitting the length of the platform to accommodate the new staircase. A sculpture from artist Christopher Sproat was also installed, titled “V-Beam.”
The rest of the Grand Central-42 Street Circulations Improvement Project will be finished later this year. Reportedly, the work includes replacing 8 escalators, completing a new fare control area, and installing lighting and signage among other improvements. There are also ongoing improvements at the 42 St Connection that include bringing the 42 St-Bryant Park BDFM station up to ADA-compliance.
A YouTube video of the MTA news conference held on February 25th is below:
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “A thousand tons of dirt and 140 feet of Manhattan Schist couldn’t get in the way of another on-time and under-budget MTA capital project. We are blasting through bedrock and red tape to deliver more for New Yorkers, no matter what’s happening in Washington.”
MTA Construction and Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said, “The new passageway and widened staircases will greatly improve passenger circulation for hundreds of thousands of daily riders at one of the busiest transfer points in our system. Our team delivered this project on time and under budget, all while minimizing impact on the customers who rely on it. It’s a huge achievement and we’re proud to share it with our customers today.”
Grand Central Partnership President and CEO Fred Cerullo said, “The much-anticipated completion of this new Flushing Line passageway and staircase is welcome news for the half million subway riders who travel daily on the 7 — many of whom begin or end their daily commute at Grand Central-42 St. We appreciate all of the recent and continuing public and private initiatives to dramatically improve the customer experience of commuters, residents, and visitors in the Midtown East community.”
