OASIS Central Terminal

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Lore & Background

Grand Central Terminal was built by and named for the New York Central Railroad; it also served the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad and, later, successors to the New York Central. Opened in 1913, the terminal was built on the site of two similarly named predecessor stations, the first of which dated to 1871. Grand Central Terminal served intercity trains until 1991, when Amtrak consolidated its New York operations at nearby Penn Station. The distinctive architecture and interior design of Grand Central Terminal's station house have earned it several landmark designations, including as a National Historic Landmark. Its Beaux-Arts design incorporates numerous works of art. Grand Central Terminal is one of the world's ten most-visited tourist attractions, with 21.6 million visitors in 2018, excluding train and subway passengers.

In Their Own Story

The terminal's Main Concourse is often used as a meeting place and is especially featured in films and television. At the center of the concourse is an information booth topped with a four-sided brass clock, one of Grand Central's most recognizable icons. The terminal's main departure boards are located at the south end of the space. The boards have been replaced numerous times since their initial installation in 1967. During morning rush hour, a train arrives at the terminal every 58 seconds. Grand Central covers 48 acres (19 ha) and has 44 platforms, more than any other railroad station in the world. Its platforms, all below ground, serve 30 tracks on the upper level and 26 on the lower. In total, there are 67 tracks, including a rail yard and sidings; of these, 41 tracks are in use for passenger service, while the remaining two dozen are used to store trains.

Reader's Guide

Grand Central Terminal serves some 67 million passengers a year, more than any other Metro-North station. Three of Metro-North's five main lines terminate at Grand Central: the Harlem Line, the Hudson Line, and the New Haven Line. Through these lines, the terminal serves Metro-North commuters traveling to and from the Bronx in New York City; Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties in New York; and Fairfield and New Haven counties in Connecticut. The MTA's Long Island Rail Road operates commuter trains to the Grand Central Madison station beneath Grand Central, completed in 2023 in the East Side Access project. Partial service to Jamaica began on January 25, 2023. The New York City Subway's adjacent Grand Central–42nd Street station serves the 4, 5, 6, <6>, 7, <7>, and S routes. Grand Central Terminal contains a variety of stores and food vendors, including upscale restaurants and bars, a food hall, and a grocery marketplace. The building is also noted for its library, event hall, tennis club, control center and offices for the railroad, and sub-basement power station.

Did You Know?

• Grand Central Terminal has 44 platforms, more than any other railroad station in the world.
• During morning rush hour, a train arrives at the terminal every 58 seconds.
• The terminal is the third-busiest train station in North America, after New York Penn Station and Toronto Union Station.
• Grand Central Terminal was built by and named for the New York Central Railroad.
• The terminal's Main Concourse is 35,000 square feet (3,300 m2).