7 Train Riders Get New $74M Upgrades At Grand Central

MIDTOWN, NY — The 480,000 New Yorkers who take the 7 train every day just got a major, $74.2 million upgrade at Grand Central Terminal.

On Tuesday, the station unveiled a new passageway and new, wider staircases, to connect the 7 train to the 4/5/6 trains, improving the flow of passengers and minimizing congestion, Gov. Kathy Hochul and officials from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said.

The changes to the station's layout are part of a larger effort to improve Grand Central-42nd Street station, and as part of the project, existing infrastructure also got upgraded, including the fire alarms. Workers also repaired the paint and concrete defects on the archways, officials said.

The new passages were made by blasting into New York City's bedrock, made out of tough Manhattan Schist, and were miraculously completed on time and under budget, officials 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," MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said. "We are blasting through bedrock and red tape to deliver more for New Yorkers, no matter what’s happening in Washington."

The project was funded by an East Midtown Rezoning adopted by the City Council a few years ago, which allowed property rent revenues to fund transit improvements, authorities said.

Later this year, other improvements to the escalators, wayfinding signs, lighting, and mezzanine will also be completed, officials said.

"New York is home to an incredibly advanced and innovative transit system — and we’re always looking to push the bounds even further," Hochul said. "The new passageway will improve the connectivity and flow of traffic through Grand Central, and I am dedicated to bettering our riders’ transit experience and keeping New York moving."

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