NEW YORK (AP) — The long-anticipated and long-delayed rail route from Long Island to Grand Central Terminal is nearing reality. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and officials from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority took a test ride on the train Sunday morning. The MTA’s East Side Access project links the Long Island Rail Road to Grand Central. Currently, the LIRR terminates at Penn Station on Manhattan’s west side, forcing commuters who work on the east side of town to backtrack to get to work. More than 150,000 customers per day are expected to use the service when it begins next year. Construction began more than a decade ago and the project has cost more than $11 billion.
Photo: A train tunnel that is part of the East Side Access will connect, when completed, rail yards in Queens with Grand Central Terminal, Thursday, May 27, 2021 in New York. The tunnels will improve commute times on the Long Island Railroad to the east side of Manhattan. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
