Grand Central–42nd Street station

This article is about the New York City Subway station. For the adjacent railroad terminal after which this station was named, see Grand Central Terminal. For the elevated rapid transit station that preceded the subway station complex, see Grand Central (IRT elevated station). For other uses, see 42nd Street.

The Grand Central–42nd Street station (also signed as 42nd Street–Grand Central) is a major station complex of the New York City Subway. Located in Midtown Manhattan at 42nd Street between Madison and Lexington Avenues, it serves trains on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line, the IRT Flushing Line and the 42nd Street Shuttle. The complex is served by the 4, 6, and 7 trains at all times; the 5 and 42nd Street Shuttle (S) trains at all times except late nights; the <6> train during weekdays in the peak direction; and the <7> train during rush hours and early evenings in the peak direction.

Grand Central–42 Street  ​​​​​
New York City Subway station complex
The entrance to Grand Central–42nd Street at Lexington Avenue
Station statistics
Address	East 42nd Street and Park Avenue New York, NY 10017
Borough	Manhattan
Locale	Midtown Manhattan
Coordinates	40°45′08″N 73°58′39″W / 40.75222°N 73.97750°W / 40.75222; -73.97750
Division	A (IRT)^[1]
Line	IRT 42nd Street Shuttle    IRT Flushing Line    IRT Lexington Avenue Line
Services	4  (all times) ​   5  (all times except late nights) ​   6  (all times) <6>  (weekdays until 8:45 p.m., peak direction)​    7  (all times) <7>  (rush hours until 9:30 p.m., peak direction)​​    S  (all except late nights)
Transit	NYCT Bus: M1, M2, M3, M4, M42, M101, M102, M103, Q32, X27, X28, X37, X38, X63, X64, X68, SIM4C, SIM6, SIM8, SIM8X, SIM11, SIM22, SIM25, SIM26, SIM30, SIM31, SIM33C MTA Bus: BxM1, BxM3, BxM4, BxM6, BxM7, BxM8, BxM9, BxM10, BxM18, BM1, BM2, BM3, BM4, BM5, QM21, QM31, QM32, QM34, QM35, QM36, QM40, QM42, QM44 Academy Bus: SIM23, SIM24 Metro-North Railroad: Harlem, Hudson, and New Haven Lines at Grand Central Terminal Long Island Rail Road at Grand Central Madison
Structure	Underground
Levels	3
Other information
Opened	June 22, 1915; 108 years ago (1915-06-22)^[2]
Accessible	ADA-accessible
Former/other names	42nd Street–Grand Central
Traffic
2022	22,937,475^[3]  63.8%
Rank	2 out of 423^[3]
Location Show map of New York City Subway Show map of New York City Show map of New York
Street map
Station service legend Symbol Description Stops all times except late nights Stops all times Stops rush hours in the peak direction only

The station is adjacent to Grand Central Terminal, which serves all Metro-North Railroad lines east of the Hudson River. There are multiple exits to Grand Central Terminal and to nearby buildings such as One Vanderbilt and the Chrysler Building. Numerous elevators make the station compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

The present shuttle station was constructed for the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) as an express station on the city's first subway line, which was approved in 1900. The station opened on October 27, 1904, as one of the original 28 stations of the New York City Subway. As part of the Dual Contracts, the Flushing Line platform opened in 1915. After the Lexington Avenue Line platforms opened in 1918, the original station became the eastern terminal of the 42nd Street Shuttle, reconfigured with three tracks and two platforms. The Grand Central–42nd Street station complex has been reconstructed numerous times over the years, including in the early 21st century, when the shuttle station was reconfigured.

Grand Central–42nd Street is the second busiest station in the 423-station system, with 45,745,700 passengers in 2019; only the Times Square–42nd Street and 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal station complex has more riders.^[3]

History

First subway

Planning for a subway line in New York City dates to 1864.^[4]: 21 However, development of what would become the city's first subway line did not start until 1894, when the New York State Legislature passed the Rapid Transit Act.^{[4]: 139–140} The subway plans were drawn up by a team of engineers led by William Barclay Parsons, the Rapid Transit Commission's chief engineer. It called for a subway line from New York City Hall in lower Manhattan to the Upper West Side, where two branches would lead north into the Bronx.^[5]: 3 A plan was formally adopted in 1897, which called for the subway to run under several streets in lower Manhattan before running under Fourth Avenue, 42nd Street, and Broadway. A previous proposal had called for the entire length of the subway to use Broadway, but the "awkward alignment...along Forty-Second Street", as the commission put it, was necessitated by objections to using the southernmost section of Broadway. All lawsuits concerning the route alignment were resolved near the end of 1899.^[4]: 148 The Rapid Transit Construction Company, organized by John B. McDonald and funded by August Belmont Jr., signed the initial Contract 1 with the Rapid Transit Commission in February 1900,^[6] in which it would construct the subway and maintain a 50-year operating lease from the opening of the line.^[4]: 165 In 1901, the firm of Heins & LaFarge was hired to design the underground stations.^[5]: 4 Belmont incorporated the Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) in April 1902 to operate the subway.^[4]: 182

The present shuttle station at Grand Central–42nd Street was constructed as part of the route segment underneath 42nd Street and Times Square, which extended from Park Avenue and 41st Street to Broadway and 47th Street. Construction on this section of the line began on February 25, 1901. Work for that section had been awarded to Degnon-McLean.^[6] By late 1903, the subway was nearly complete, but the IRT Powerhouse and the system's electrical substations were still under construction, delaying the system's opening.^{[4]: 186 [7]} The Grand Central–42nd Street station opened on October 27, 1904, as one of the original 28 stations of the New York City Subway from City Hall to 145th Street on the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line.^{[8][4]: 186} The Grand Central shuttle platforms predate the terminal itself, as the construction of Grand Central Terminal was completed in 1913.^[9]

 

Entering the subway from the new Grand Central Terminal, 1912

After the first subway line was completed in 1908,^[10] the station was served by local and express trains along both the West Side (now the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line to Van Cortlandt Park–242nd Street) and East Side (now the Lenox Avenue Line). West Side local trains had their southern terminus at City Hall during rush hours and South Ferry at other times, and had their northern terminus at 242nd Street. East Side local trains ran from City Hall to Lenox Avenue (145th Street). Express trains had their southern terminus at South Ferry or Atlantic Avenue and had their northern terminus at 242nd Street, Lenox Avenue (145th Street), or West Farms (180th Street).^[11][a]

To address overcrowding, in 1909, the New York Public Service Commission proposed lengthening the platforms at stations along the original IRT subway.^[13]: 168 As part of a modification to the IRT's construction contracts made on January 18, 1910, the company was to lengthen station platforms to accommodate ten-car express and six-car local trains. In addition to $1.5 million (equivalent to $49.1 million in 2023) spent on platform lengthening, $500,000 (equivalent to $16,350,000 in 2023) was spent on building additional entrances and exits. It was anticipated that these improvements would increase capacity by 25 percent.^[14]: 15 At the Grand Central station, the northbound platform was extended 135 feet (41 m) west, while the southbound platform was extended 125 feet (38 m) west. Small portions of the walls and roof were also reconstructed, and a new signal tower was constructed at the west end of the station.^{[14]: 106–107} Six-car local trains began operating in October 1910.^[13]: 168 On January 23, 1911, ten-car express trains began running on the Lenox Avenue Line, and the following day, ten-car express trains were inaugurated on the West Side Line.^{[13]: 168 [15]}

Early expansion

On May 17, 1910, the New York State Public Service Commission received a letter from the New York Central Railroad announcing plans to create a concourse to connect the under-construction Grand Central Terminal with new subway lines planned at 42nd Street. The plan called for the construction of a passageway under 42nd Street from the Vanderbilt Avenue end of the existing subway station to an elevator shaft at Lexington Avenue, connecting the planned Steinway Tunnel and Broadway–Lexington Avenue subway lines with street level. An elevator shaft would have connected the Steinway Tunnel, a platform with the Hudson & Manhattan Railroad (H&M, now PATH), and the new concourse, and would have led out to street level adjacent to a stairway leading to an extension of the IRT Third Avenue Line. As part of this proposal, the new station on the Broadway–Lexington Avenue Line would have been located at 42nd Street instead of 43rd Street to provide an adequate connection with Grand Central Terminal. The New York Central also recommended revising the planned location of the station on the Steinway tunnel line.^[16][17]

The original plan for what became the Lexington Avenue Line north of 42nd Street was to continue it south through Irving Place and into what is now the BMT Broadway Line at Ninth Street and Broadway. Contracts awarded on July 21, 1911, included Section 6 between 26th Street and 40th Street; at the time, the IRT had withdrawn from the talks, and the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) was to operate on Lexington Avenue. The IRT submitted an offer for what became its portion of the Dual Contracts on February 27, 1912.^{[4]: 230–233} Soon after the IRT submitted its offer for the Dual Contracts, construction was halted on Section 6.^[18] The contracts were formalized in early 1913, specifying new lines or expansions to be built by the IRT and the BRT.^[19]

Steinway Tunnel

 

The Flushing Line platform opened in 1915 as part of the Dual Contracts.

The Dual Contracts involved opening the Steinway Tunnel as part of the new Flushing subway line.^{[20][21]: 168} The route, traveling under 41st and 42nd Streets in Manhattan, was to go from Times Square through the tunnel over to Long Island City and from there continue toward Flushing.^[20][22] The tunnel, with trolley loops on both the Manhattan and Queens sides, had sat unused since 1907, when test runs had been performed in the then-nearly-complete tunnel. The Manhattan trolley loop was near the Grand Central station.^[23]

The Flushing Line platform was the first Dual Contracts improvement to be completed at Grand Central, opening on June 22, 1915.^[24] On August 31, 1916, a passageway connecting the Flushing Line platform with the rest of the subway station was opened with an inspection tour; it was opened to the public in the following days. The new passageway connected the station's eastern mezzanine with the Flushing Line platform via ramp and a pair of elevators.^[25] This was part of a ramp that the Public Service Commission had hoped to use to connect the Steinway Tunnel to the 42nd Street Line.^[26]

"H" system

Also as part of the Dual Contracts, the construction of the Lexington Avenue Line, in conjunction with the construction of the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line, would change the operations of the IRT system. Instead of having trains go via Park Avenue, turning onto 42nd Street, before finally turning onto Broadway, there would be two trunk lines connected by the 42nd Street Shuttle. The system would be changed from looking like a "Z" system to an H-shaped system. One trunk would run via the new Lexington Avenue Line down Park Avenue, and the other trunk would run via the new Seventh Avenue Line up Broadway.^[27] It was predicted that the subway extension would lead to the growth of the Upper East Side and the Bronx.^[28][29] To reduce the 400-foot (120 m) transfer between the eastern end of the original line's station and the new Lexington Avenue Line station, a new shuttle station was to be built to the east. The construction of the narrow island platform station required building two new trackways extending east under 42nd Street. Although the platform was constructed, it was never used.^[26]

The Lexington Avenue Line was to run diagonally under the former Children's Hospital on the north side of 42nd Street east of Park Avenue. The route would connect the original subway under Park Avenue, on the west, to the new line under Lexington Avenue, on the east, at a point between 43rd and 44th Streets.^[30] This alignment also ran under the Grand Union Hotel at the southeast corner of 42nd Street and Park Avenue.^[31] The Public Service Commission had to acquire an easement from the New York Central Railroad, the owner of the Children's Hospital site, but the commission was unwilling to pay New York Central's asking price for the easement. Consequently, in April 1913, the plan was modified so that the line made an S-curve under 40th Street.^[30] The Public Service Commission voted on the modification in June 1913,^[32] and the modified route under 40th Street was adopted that November.^[33] The commission voted in favor of the original diagonal route in February 1914,^[34] at which point the Grand Union Hotel was condemned via eminent domain.^[35] The condemnation proceedings for the hotel cost $3.5 million, then a very high sum.^[36] The commission also acquired an easement from New York Central in February 1915 for $902,500.^[37][38] To pay for the station's construction cost, the Public Service Commission approved the construction of a 25-story building on the Grand Union Hotel site.^[39] The structure was not erected as proposed; it would later become the Pershing Square Building, which opened in 1923.^[40]

In 1912, in coordination with plans for the new station, a new passageway was planned to replace existing entrances at the corner of Vanderbilt Avenue and 42nd Street. There were plans to build a new entrance to the northwestern corner of this intersection into the United Cigar Stores Company building.^[41] In Fiscal Year 1913, work to connect the Grand Central subway station and Grand Central Terminal was authorized, as was the extension of the eastern mezzanine to connect with a building at the northwestern corner of Vanderbilt Avenue and 42nd Street. Work to build a new mezzanine at the western end of the station, and with new stairways, including an entrance to the building at the southwestern corner of Madison Avenue and 42nd Street was also authorized.^[42] In Fiscal Year 1915, the eastern mezzanine was extended to connect with a building at the northeastern corner of 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue.^[43] In March 1916, the Public Service Commission authorized the IRT to build a new mezzanine passage at the station to reduce platform crowding for $6,000. As part of the project, a passageway would be constructed connecting the existing mezzanine immediately to the west of Vanderbilt Avenue on the north side of 42nd Street over the express tracks with the southbound platform with a new stairway approximately 64 feet (20 m) to the west of the existing eastern stairway.^[44]

The Lexington Avenue Line station opened on July 17, 1918, with service initially running between Grand Central–42nd Street and 167th Street via the line's local tracks.^[45][46] Service on the express tracks began two weeks later, on August 1, when the "H system" was put into place, with through service beginning on the new east and west side trunk lines, and the institution of the 42nd Street Shuttle along the old connection between the sides.^[47][48] The shuttle station was not ready in time, and therefore wooden flooring was temporarily laid over sections of the trackways at Times Square and Grand Central.^[49] The shuttle was heavily used, and the crowding conditions were so bad that the shuttle was ordered closed the next day.^[50] The shuttle reopened September 28, 1918.^[51] Track 2 at the Grand Central station was covered over by a wooden platform.^[52] A New York Times columnist later said that former southbound express track 2 was still usable for the first few hours of the shuttle's operation, but the wooden platform was placed over that track later the same day to allow shuttles to use former northbound express track 3, due to high demand for the shuttles on the former local tracks, numbered 1 and 4.^[53] The cost of the extension from Grand Central was $58 million.^[54] The construction and opening of the Lexington Avenue Line north of Grand Central resulted in the construction of expensive apartments along Park Avenue, Madison Avenue, and Lexington Avenue.^[55]

Canceled Hudson & Manhattan Railroad platform

The H&M's Uptown Hudson Tubes had opened in 1908, stretching from New Jersey to 33rd Street and Sixth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan. Not long after the Uptown Hudson Tubes opened, there were proposals to extend the line to Grand Central.^[56] The H&M platforms would have been directly below the Broadway–Lexington Avenue Line's platforms, but above the Steinway Tunnel platforms. The concourse for the station would have been located on the north side of 42nd Street between Depew Place and Park Avenue, with stairways connecting to the Steinway Tunnel platform below. Two elevator shafts would have connected the Steinway Tunnel and the H&M platforms.^[16]

By 1909, the IRT had constructed an unauthorized ventilation shaft between the 42nd Street Shuttle and the Steinway Tunnel. This would force the H&M to build its station at a very low depth, thus making it harder for any passengers to access the H&M station.^[57] As an alternative, it was proposed to connect the Uptown Tubes to the Steinway Tunnel.^[58] A franchise to extend the Uptown Tubes to Grand Central was awarded in June 1909, with the expectation that construction could start within six months and that the new extension would be ready by January 1911.^[59] However, by 1914, the H&M had not started construction of the Grand Central extension yet, and it wished to delay the start of construction further.^[60]

By 1920, the H&M had submitted seventeen applications in which they sought to delay construction of the extensions; in all seventeen instances, the H&M had claimed that it was not an appropriate time to construct the tube.^[61] This time, the Rapid Transit Commissioners declined this request for a delay, effectively ending the H&M's right to build an extension to Grand Central.^[62]

20th century modifications

1920s to 1940s

In August 1925, Eastern Offices Inc. signed an agreement to lease land from the New York Central for 21 years to construct the Graybar Building. As part of the agreement, passageways were to be constructed to connect the building with Grand Central Terminal and the subway station.^[63][64] The connection to the subway station would run underneath the sidewalk adjacent to the Hotel Commodore.^[65] The new entrance was expected to reduce crowding at the existing northern entrances to the station through the Hotel Commodore at 42nd Street and 43rd Street.^[66]

In 1928, to alleviate overcrowding on the Lexington Avenue Line, a consulting engineer for the New York State Transit Commission proposed the construction of "reservoir" stations at 33rd/34th and 42nd Streets.^[67] The proposal entailed constructing a northbound-only tunnel under Lexington Avenue from 30th to 42nd Street, with stations at 34th and 42nd Streets, then converting the IRT tunnel under Park Avenue and the existing 33rd and 42nd Street stations to southbound-only use. The northbound and southbound stations at 33rd/34th and 42nd Streets would both have had two express tracks and one local track; the express tracks in either direction would have merged with each other north of 42nd Street and south of 30th Street.^[67] Joseph V. McKee wrote a letter to the IRT the next year, saying that overcrowding at the station during rush hours created life-threatening conditions.^[68][69] In response to McKee's complaint, the Transit Commission's chairman said the only ways to reduce overcrowding at the Grand Central–42nd Street station were to construct the "reservoir" stations or build a second subway line on Manhattan's east side.^[70][71] Although the "reservoir" plan was technically feasible, the $25 million projected cost was too high.^[72]

In November 1929, the W. P. Chrysler Building Corporation reached an agreement with the Transit Commission to build an entrance from the subway station to the Chrysler Building between 42nd Street and 43rd Street.^[73] The IRT sued to block construction of the new entrance because it would cause crowding,^[74] but the New York City Board of Transportation pushed to allow the corridor anyway.^[75] Chrysler eventually built and paid for the building's subway entrance.^[76] Work on the new entrance started in March 1930,^[77][78] and it opened along with the Chrysler Building two months later.^[79] By then, the station had direct connections to 14 nearby buildings.^[80] As part of a pilot program, the IRT installed silencers on seven turnstiles at the station in April 1930;^[81][82] the Transit Commission authorized the IRT to install silencers on all of its turnstiles three months later.^[83]

The city government took over the IRT's operations on June 12, 1940.^[84][85] On February 12, 1946, work began to double the width of the passageway connecting the shuttle platforms and the main mezzanine over the Lexington Avenue Line platforms. As part of the work the wooden passenger walkway, which had an average width of 15 feet (4.6 m) was replaced by a 37 feet (11 m) wide passageway with concrete flooring. This walkway had been "temporary" when it was put into place in August 1918. The new 350 feet (110 m)-long passageway covered most of the trackways used by downtown trains of the Original Subway prior to 1918. The iron railings along the planked walkway were removed. The project cost $45,800 and was intended to ease congestion. As part of the project, the upper passageway was moved to within fare control to allow passengers to go between the subway mezzanine and the entrance to Grand Central Terminal at the shuttle without paying a fare. This was accomplished by moving the turnstiles at the eastern end of the passageway.^[86] In March, members of the Metallic Lathers Union Local 46 sought to halt construction on the project, which was 80 percent complete, as the union objected to having the work done by city employees who made less than union workers.^[87] The rebuilt passageway opened on March 18, 1946.^[88] As part of a pilot program, the New York City Board of Transportation installed three-dimensional advertisements at the Grand Central station in late 1948.^[89][90]

1950s to 1960s

On March 2, 1950, a new type of stainless steel portable newsstand was installed at the Flushing Line platform at Grand Central. The newsstand was owned by the Union News Company.^[91] In April 1954, the Bowery Savings Bank completed the installation of a two-speed, reversible escalator from the ground floor of the building from the south side of 42nd Street between Pershing Square and Lexington Avenue to the station mezzanine. The construction of the escalator, which required digging into solid rock, cost about $135,000. The bank also installed teller windows into the mezzanine that would be open during rush hours, and installed slot machines in the wall where riders could exchange a quarter for a subway token and ten cents in change.^[92] Also in 1954, the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) installed fluorescent directional signs at the Grand Central–42nd Street station, the first station in the system to receive these illuminated signs.^[93]

On August 9, 1954, two new 4 foot (1.2 m)-wide escalators connecting the Flushing Line platform and the main mezzanine were placed into service. The NYCTA installed them for $1,235,000. The 40 foot (12 m) high escalators covered a distance of 78.833 feet (24.028 m) at a speed of 120 feet (37 m) per minute during rush hours, and at a speed of 90 feet (27 m) during other times, and could accommodate 20,000 people per hour. Both escalators traveled upwards in the morning rush hour on weekdays, and downward during the evening rush hour. During middays and weekends, the two escalators handled two-way traffic. The escalators were lit with fluorescent lighting, which would later be installed throughout the Grand Central station complex.^[94] The Flushing Line platforms at Grand Central, and all other stations on the Flushing Line with the exception of Queensboro Plaza, were extended in 1955–1956 to accommodate 11-car trains.^[95]

In 1955, the NYCTA had a scheme to make a lower level to the Lexington Avenue Line station, also of four tracks.^[96] It would have tapped into the express tracks beyond the station and been used as an intermediate terminal stop for certain services. There was room between the Lexington Avenue and Flushing Lines for such a new level.^{[citation needed]} The New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) announced plans in 1956 to add fluorescent lights to the Flushing Line and shuttle platforms at the Grand Central station.^[97]

In late 1959, contracts were awarded to extend the platforms at Bowling Green, Wall Street, Fulton Street, Canal Street, Spring Street, Bleecker Street, Astor Place, Grand Central, 86th Street and 125th Street to 525 feet (160 m) to accommodate ten-car trains.^[98]

On March 17, 1964, construction began on a $1 million project to replace three elevators serving the Flushing Line platform with two sets of 4 foot (1.2 m)-wide escalators, on two levels leading to the station mezzanine. The project was estimated to be completed in 22 months, and work began on March 17, with the removal of one of the elevators from service. Following the completion of the first set of escalators in fourteen months, the other two elevators would go out of service.^[99] This project was completed on April 3, 1966, with the completion of an escalator that traveled 50 foot (15 m) and had a capacity of 18,600 people an hour.^[100]

 

A view of the shuttle platform between Track 3 and 4, with the automatic train on the right in 1962

The shuttle station suffered a severe fire on April 21, 1964, which destroyed the automated train being tested in the 42nd Street Shuttle at the time.^[101][102] The fire began under a shuttle train on track 3, and it became larger, feeding on the wooden platform. The basements of nearby buildings were damaged.^[52] Tracks 1 and 4 returned to service on April 23, 1964,^[103] while Track 3 returned to service on June 1, 1964.^[104] The reinstallation of Track 3 was delayed because of the need to replace 60 beams that were damaged in the fire.^[105] From September 19, 1966, to April 1967, service on the shuttle was limited in order to allow for the reconstruction of parts of the line. The entire project cost $419,000, and included the construction of a new mezzanine at Grand Central.^[106] As part of the project, the tiles damaged by the smoke from the fire were replaced with tiles in the city's colors of blue, white and orange, with black tiles interspersed. In addition, fluorescent lighting, which was 12 times brighter than the old lighting, was installed.^[107] Track 2 between the shuttle station and Times Square–42nd Street was removed in 1975.^[26]

1970s to 1990s

The NYCTA announced plans on November 24, 1977, to improve and install new escalators across the subway system, including six new escalators, the reconditioning of three escalators, and the modification of 22 escalators to have automatic treadle operation, which would reduce energy and maintenance costs as they would be activated by a passenger stepping on a rubber platform instead of running continuously. As part of the plan, two escalators at the Third Avenue entrance to the Flushing Line platform would be reconditioned.^[108]

On August 9, 1979, it was announced that New York City would receive $32 million from the Urban Mass Transit Administration's Urban Initiatives Projects grant program to renovation the Grand Central, Herald Square, and 42nd Street–Port Authority Bus Terminal subway stations.^[109] The remainder of the $40 million cost of renovating these stations would be covered by state and private sector matching funds. This program was set up by the Carter administration to use public funding to spur private-sector investments to rebuild cities. The Grand Central project, was expected to cost $12.5 million, of which the Federal government would provide $10 million, the state would provide $1 million, and private developers would pay $1.5 million through a tax abatement plan. It qualified for the program due to a significant investment in the area by private developers, including the rebuilding of the Commodore Hotel as the Grand Hyatt, the renovation of the Chrysler Building, and the construction of a new headquarters for Philip Morris. Work on the renovation project was estimated to take three years, and would include the installation of escalators and elevators. Passageways would be straightened, widened, and relocated, fare controls be relocated, mezzanine areas would be expanded, signage, lighting and entrances would be improved, and the station's public address system would be upgraded.^[110]

On October 26, 1981, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) held a public hearing over the agency's planned use of eminent domain to acquire 3,600 square feet (330 m²) of the basement of the Grand Hyatt to construct a passageway to connect the station's northern and main mezzanines as part of the station renovation. In addition, as part of the project, a steep stairway to the Commodore passageway was to be reconstructed, and some stairways were to be relocated to reduce congestion. The construction of the passageway was intended to allow all stairways from the Lexington Avenue platforms to be used to access the 42nd Street Shuttle and Flushing Line platforms, and to improve passenger circulation. Elevators were installed to connect the main mezzanine and the two Lexington Avenue Line platforms, as was required to receive Federal funding.^[109]

In 1985, work began on a $23 million renovation of the Lexington Avenue Line station. As part of the project, new ceilings, floors, lighting, architectural graphics, entrances, and two escalators were installed.^[111]

In a report published in 1991, the New York City Department of City Planning recommended closing the Graybar subway passage because of its low usage and its proximity to other connections.^[112] After a woman was raped in another subway passageway, the Graybar subway passage and 14 others were closed by emergency order of the New York City Transit Authority on March 29, 1991, with a public hearing being held afterward.^{[113][114][115]} From January 1, 1990, to its closure, there had been 365 felonies committed in the Graybar subway passage, making it the most dangerous of the 15 passageways ordered closed. The passageway had been located behind a token booth, making it hard to patrol; at the time of its closure, the hallway was described as being "deceptively long and treacherous".^[114]

Work began on a five-year $82 million project to renovate the station in November 1995. The project, which was financed using state and Federal funds and designed by Gruzen Samton Architects, would focus on improving the appearance of the station, and would be constructed in phases. The renovation would restore the 1914 mosaic tiles on the walls of the Lexington Avenue Line platforms, cover existing columns with tile with new mosaics, create a v-shaped light installation on the vaulted ceiling of the Flushing Line platform, and install a contemporary mosaic frieze in multiple colors along the walls of the Shuttle platform. In addition, the stained concrete floors in the station complex would be replaced with pre-cast quartz terrazzo tiles, which would have the same color beige as the marble floors in Grand Central Terminal.^[116]

Under a 1990s plan for the Second Avenue Subway, a spur to Grand Central Terminal was considered, which would have turned off Second Avenue at 44th Street as a way to divert riders from the 4 and ​5 routes, which run express on the Lexington Avenue Line. Service on this spur could not be as frequent as that on Lexington Avenue as there would not be enough capacity on Second Avenue, and as a result this plan was dropped.^[117]

21st century

Renovations

 

One Vanderbilt subway entrance

 

Widened platform as part of the 42nd Street Shuttle reconstruction project

As part of the construction of One Vanderbilt at the corner of Vanderbilt Avenue and 42nd Street, developer SL Green Realty made several upgrades to the station. The improvements entailed multiple new entrances and exits, including two staircases to the southeast corner of Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street, as well as an underground entrance directly from One Vanderbilt to the 42nd Street Shuttle platforms. Three new staircases from the mezzanine to the southbound Lexington Avenue Line platform, and one new staircase to the northbound platform, were added. The project also involved reconfiguration of columns supporting the nearby Grand Hyatt New York hotel at the southeast corner of the station, destruction of 40% of the Hyatt's basement to expand the subway mezzanine, and the thinning of columns on platforms and mezzanines to increase space. A new elevator was added within the existing Hyatt entrance, and the existing staircase was replaced.^[118][119] This would directly result in additional capacity for the station, since 4,000 to 6,000 more subway passengers per hour would be able to use it.^[118] These improvements would cost over $200 million.^[120][121] The MTA mandated the station improvements in exchange for allowing the tower's construction.^[119] In 2015, SL Green gave $220 million toward the building's construction, of which two-thirds of the money would be used for station redesign;^[122][123] this marked the largest private investment to date to the New York City Subway system.^[118] The subway entrance in One Vanderbilt, as well as some of the other station upgrades, were completed in 2020.^[124][125]

As part of the 2015–2019 MTA Capital Program, the 42nd Street Shuttle became ADA accessible, the center track was removed, and the trains became six cars long. Although the Grand Central shuttle platforms were served by elevators, the shuttle as a whole was inaccessible because the platforms at Times Square were not accessible. The whole project will cost $235.41 million,^[126] while the cost of this part of the project is $30 million.^{[126][118][127]} At Grand Central, the center track, track 3, was removed and the two existing platforms were connected, providing one wide island platform with an area of 22,000 square feet (2,000 m²).^[128] This became the largest platform in the subway system.^[129] The existing platforms were extended further west to accommodate six-car trains, using existing employee facility rooms. New consolidated employee facility rooms were constructed at the location of the switch connecting tracks 1 and 3. The P-4 staircase at the western end of the station leading to Madison Avenue from the existing northern platform was removed and the P-3 staircase leading there from the existing southern platform was considerably widened.^[130][131] By December 2016, the project was delayed, with construction set to start in December 2019 and be completed by September 2022.^[132][133] A construction contract was awarded on March 7, 2019, with an estimated completion date of March 2022. The new platforms were opened on September 7, 2021.^[134]

A new mezzanine below the existing mezzanine provides a direct connection from the subway station to the Grand Central Terminal's lower-level Metro-North platforms, and to the concourse of the Long Island Rail Road's Grand Central Madison station, the latter of which was built as part of the East Side Access project. This will replace the current escalators from the existing mezzanine directly to the Flushing Line platforms, and is estimated to cost $75–150 million.^[135] The connection to the LIRR station opened on January 25, 2023.^[136][137] Further circulation improvements are planned as part of a replacement of the Hyatt with a skyscraper at 175 Park Avenue, to be called Project Commodore, which is expected to be built from 2022 to 2030. As part of the project, the subway turnstiles in the basement of the Hyatt would be moved to the ground floor of Project Commodore. The 42nd Street Passage from the street to Grand Central's Main Concourse, within the Hyatt's ground level, would be expanded by 5,400 square feet (500 m²).^[138] The escalators at the Third Avenue entrance to the Flushing Line platform were replaced during much of 2023.^[139] In February 2024, workers began constructing a transfer passageway between the Flushing and Lexington Avenue lines.^[140][141]

Future subway connection

As part of the construction of the Second Avenue Subway, a transfer might be included between here and the 42nd Street station on that line. This would provide a transfer to the T train if Phase 3 of the Second Avenue Subway is built. The transfer was evaluated as part of the Second Avenue Subway's environmental impact statement published in 2004.^[142][143] The 900-foot-long (270 m)^[144] transfer passageway would run under 42nd Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, connecting to the IRT Flushing Line platform. Up to four properties might need to be required for the necessary ancillaries and emergency exits to built.^[145] The passageway would run under the northern side of 42nd Street, and the exit at the eastern end would be on the northwestern corner of that street and Second Avenue.^[146]

Failed terrorist plot

Najibullah Zazi and alleged co-conspirators were arrested in September 2009 as part of an al-Qaeda Islamist plan to engage in suicide bombings on trains in the New York City Subway system, including near the Grand Central station and the Times Square–42nd Street station during rush hour that month.^[147] Zazi pled guilty.^[148][149]

Station layout

Ground	Street level	Exit/entrance   Elevators located: immediately to the right of the main Grand Central Terminal entrance (East 42nd Street between Park and Lexington Avenues). at northwest corner of East 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. inside One Vanderbilt at northwest corner of East 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue.
Basement 1	Mezzanine	To entrances/exits, station agent, MetroCard vending machines
	Track 4	←   toward Times Square (Terminus)
	Island platform
	Track 1	←   toward Times Square (Terminus)
Basement 2	Northbound local	←    toward Pelham Bay Park or Parkchester (51st Street) ←   toward Woodlawn late nights (51st Street)
	Island platform
	Northbound express	←   toward Woodlawn (59th Street) ←   toward Eastchester–Dyre Avenue or Nereid Avenue (59th Street)
	Southbound express	→   toward Crown Heights–Utica Avenue (14th Street–Union Square) → →   toward Flatbush Avenue–Brooklyn College weekdays, Bowling Green evenings/weekends (14th Street–Union Square) →
	Island platform
	Southbound local	→    toward Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall (33rd Street) → →   toward New Lots Avenue late nights (33rd Street) →
Basement 3		Escalator landing, ramp from Lexington Avenue Line to Flushing Line
Basement 4	Southbound	←    toward 34th Street–Hudson Yards (Fifth Avenue)
	Island platform
	Northbound	→    toward Flushing–Main Street (Vernon Boulevard–Jackson Avenue) →

 

1918 plan

There is a mezzanine above the Lexington Avenue Line's platforms, which have numerous exits to and from Grand Central itself as well as to the streets (see § Exits). Escalators connect this mezzanine to the Flushing Line, although there are also staircases and passageways directly between the Lexington Avenue and Flushing Lines' platforms. The Flushing Line platform also has its own exit at its extreme eastern end, though all other exits are through the Lexington Avenue Line platforms and mezzanine.^[150] Outside the Lexington Avenue Line mezzanine's fare control, there are stairs, escalators, and an elevator to Grand Central. An east-west passageway connects the Lexington Avenue Line's mezzanine to the 42nd Street Shuttle, which also has its own dedicated entrance and exit stairs. The whole station is handicapped accessible, as is the connection to Grand Central Terminal.^[151]

In 2000, the Lexington Avenue Line station received air conditioning after Metro-North Railroad installed chillers for Grand Central Terminal. The chillers cost $17 million to install and are capable of cooling up to 3,000 tons of air.^[152] The Lexington Avenue Line station is one of a very small number of artificially cooled stations in the New York City Subway.^[153][154] The Flushing Line platforms have been equipped with fans, but not an air-cooling system.^[155]

In 2014, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority installed an online, interactive touchscreen computer program called "On The Go! Travel Station" (OTG) in Grand Central. The self-updating kiosks allow people to route their trips and check for delays.^[156] The MTA set up the map as part of a pilot project in five subway stations. It lists any planned work or service changes, as well as information to help travelers find nearby landmarks and addresses.^{[157][158][159]}

Exits

The station has numerous exits into Grand Central Terminal, to the street level, and inside several buildings along 42nd Street and Park Avenue.^[150] The station had more entrances inside buildings than any other IRT station, with 14 such entrances in 1930.^[80][160] Present-day exits include:^[150][161]

• One Vanderbilt, north side of 42nd Street between Madison Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue^[125]
• The Chrysler Building through a passage immediately to the left of the customer service booth on the station's mezzanine^[150]
• The Pershing Square Building, 125 Park Avenue^[150]
• 110 East 42nd Street through a passage downtown of the main mezzanine through their own fare control^[150]
• The Chanin Building, 122 East 42nd Street, through its own turnstiles directly accessing the escalators to the IRT Flushing Line platform (east of the mezzanine)^[150]
• Grand Hyatt New York, west side of Lexington Avenue north of 42nd Street^[150]
• Socony–Mobil Building, south side of 42nd Street west of 3rd Avenue^[150]
• Grand Central Terminal's exits, by walking through exits uptown and to the west into the terminal^[150]

Exits directly to the street include:

• One stair on either side of 42nd Street between Madison and 5th Avenues^[150]
• One stair/escalator, SW corner of Park Avenue and 42nd Street^[150]
• Two stairs, SW corner of Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street^[150]

Relative depths

• Metro-North Railroad upper level, 20 feet (6.1 m) below street
• 42nd Street Shuttle, 20 feet (6.1 m)
• Lexington Avenue Line, 50 feet (15 m)
• Metro-North Railroad lower level, 60 feet (18 m)
• Flushing Line, 80 feet (24 m)
• Long Island Rail Road upper level, 130 feet (40 m)
• Long Island Rail Road lower level, 150 feet (46 m)

IRT 42nd Street Shuttle platform

Grand Central
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
Shuttle platform in September 2021
Station statistics
Division	A (IRT)^[1]
Line	IRT 42nd Street Shuttle
Services	S  (all except late nights)
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	October 27, 1904; 119 years ago (1904-10-27)^[8]
Rebuilt	1966; 58 years ago (1966) (after fire)^[107] 2021; 3 years ago (2021)
Accessible	ADA-accessible
Opposite- direction transfer	N/A
Former/other names	42nd Street–Grand Central
Services Preceding station   New York City Subway Following station Times Square S  Terminus   42nd Street Terminus
Non-revenue services and lines Preceding station   New York City Subway Following station   no service 33rd Street Lexington Ave local
Track layout Legend 1 2 3 4               to Times Square                 End of former tracks 2/3                                   to 33rd Street 1 2 3 4   Track in revenue service   Track not in revenue service   Trackbed
Station service legend Symbol Description   Stops all times except late nights

The Grand Central shuttle platform dates from the original IRT subway, completed in 1904. It was originally a four-track express stop with two island platforms between the local and express tracks.^[8] The present configuration of the shuttle has two tracks coming into the station. The old southbound express track (track 2) and former northbound express track (track 3) were removed, with the latter closing on November 7, 2020.^[162] The 42nd Street Shuttle serves the station at all times except between approximately midnight and 6:00 a.m., when the shuttle does not run.^[163] The next station to the west is Times Square.^[164] When the station opened, Times Square was the next local station northbound, while 72nd Street was the next express station northbound. The next stations south, 33rd Street for local trains and 14th Street–Union Square for express trains, were the same as those on the current Lexington Avenue Line.^[8]

While track 4 terminates at a bumper block, track 1 merges with the southbound local track of the Lexington Avenue Line east of the station. The merge is generally used to supply rolling stock to track 1, but is occasionally used during special railfan excursions. The other three tracks followed similar paths until the Lexington Avenue Line was extended north, turning this part of the line into a shuttle.^[165] The former alignment passes through the area that was rebuilt for the unopened shuttle platform in the 1910s. From the public passageway, none of the original support columns and roof are visible, since they were removed in exactly this area to open the way for the unused shuttle station. Island platforms were located between the three tracks; the southernmost platform was extra wide, covering the area where track 2 had been located. There is no track connection between tracks 1 and 4.

The eastern mezzanine above the shuttle platform leads to the Shuttle Passage, on the west side of Grand Central Terminal.^[166]: 155 When the terminal's Main Concourse was built, it was deliberately placed at the same level as the original IRT station's mezzanine, as 80 percent of the terminal's passengers were transferring to and from the subway. The remainder of Grand Central Terminal was then designed around the floor level of the Main Concourse and the subway mezzanine.^[167][168]

Filming location

This section of the complex was frequently used for movie shooting when it is closed. Notable scenes include a famous scene in the 1971 film The French Connection, an episode of Fringe, an episode of Person of Interest, and an episode of 30 Rock (filling in for 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center station).

Image gallery

•  
  Train on track 3 (since removed)
•  
  Entrance from the Grand Central Terminal Main Concourse

IRT Lexington Avenue Line platforms

Grand Central–42 Street   ​ ​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
5 train departing
Station statistics
Division	A (IRT)^[1]
Line	IRT Lexington Avenue Line
Services	4  (all times) ​   5  (all times except late nights) ​   6  (all times) <6>  (weekdays until 8:45 p.m., peak direction)
Platforms	2 island platforms cross-platform interchange
Tracks	4
Other information
Opened	July 17, 1918; 105 years ago (1918-07-17)^[45]
Accessible	ADA-accessible
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Former/other names	42nd Street–Grand Central Diagonal Station
Services Preceding station   New York City Subway Following station 59th Street 4  ​5  via 138th Street–Grand Concourse     Express 14th Street–Union Square 4  ​5  via Franklin Avenue–Medgar Evers College 51st Street 4  ​6  <6> toward Pelham Bay Park     Local 33rd Street 4  ​6  <6> toward Brooklyn Bridge–City Hall
Track layout Legend           to 51st Street         to 59th Street                 Express tracks descend to lower level                                                                                       From shuttle tracks 1 and 2             To shuttle tracks 3 and 4                             to 33rd Street         to 14th Street–Union Square   Upper level, existing track   Upper level, former track   Lower level, existing track
Station service legend Symbol Description   Stops all times except late nights   Stops all times   Stops late nights only   Stops rush hours in the peak direction only

The Grand Central–42nd Street station is an express station on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line. It was also known as the Diagonal Station at the time of the Lexington Avenue Line station's construction, being oriented 45° from the street grid.^[169] The 4 and 6 trains stop here at all times;^[170][171] the 5 train stops here at all times except late nights;^[172] and the <6> train stops here during weekdays in the peak direction.^[171] The 5 train always makes express stops,^[172] and the 6 and <6> trains always make local stops;^[171] the 4 train makes express stops during the day and local stops at night.^[170] The next station to the north is 51st Street for local trains and 59th Street for express trains. The next station to the south is 33rd Street for local trains and 14th Street–Union Square for express trains.^[164]

The station has two island platforms, four tracks, and includes a crossover and a crossunder. The columns and beams here are massive, in order to support part of Grand Central Terminal and the office towers next to it. On one wall, there is a stylized steam locomotive mosaic. The northbound platform's side wall includes tile depicting a big passageway; the first room, as seen from the platform, has doors to a second room which appears to be a mechanical room. There is a correctly oriented compass rose inlaid on the floor of the mezzanine.

The Grand Central complex is home to the master tower which controls the entire Lexington Avenue Line, located south of the Lexington Avenue Line platforms.

Just south of the station, the southbound local track merges into the original downtown local track from the 42nd Street Shuttle, the only one remaining from the original four-track IRT subway (see § IRT 42nd Street Shuttle platform). The uptown tracks are about 10 feet (3.0 m) below the original grade at the point where they turn off. The old uptown express and local trackways that used to lead to the 42nd Street Shuttle are visible from the uptown local track. The unused ramps leading from the 42nd Street Shuttle are still in place. After the merge, the pairs of tracks in each direction diverge, with two on each side of the 1870 New York and Harlem Railroad Murray Hill Tunnel, which is now used for automobile traffic on Park Avenue.

Image gallery

•  
  Tile mosaic
•  
  Close-up
•  
  6 train on one of the local tracks

IRT Flushing Line platform

Grand Central–42 Street    ​
New York City Subway station (rapid transit)
An R188 7 train at the station
Station statistics
Division	A (IRT)^[1]
Line	IRT Flushing Line
Services	7  (all times) <7>  (rush hours until 9:30 p.m., peak direction)​
Platforms	1 island platform
Tracks	2
Other information
Opened	June 22, 1915; 108 years ago (1915-06-22)^[2]
Accessible	ADA-accessible
Opposite- direction transfer	Yes
Former/other names	42nd Street–Grand Central
Services Preceding station   New York City Subway Following station Fifth Avenue 7  <7> ​ toward 34th Street–Hudson Yards     Vernon Boulevard–Jackson Avenue 7  <7> ​ toward Flushing–Main Street
Track layout Legend     to Vernon Boulevard–Jackson Avenue                                             Trolley loop             to Fifth Avenue
Station service legend Symbol Description   Stops all times   Stops rush hours in the peak direction only

The Grand Central–42nd Street station (signed as 42nd Street–Grand Central) on the Flushing Line has a single island platform and two tracks.^[164] The 7 train stops here at all times, and the <7> train stops here during rush hours in the peak direction.^[173] The station is between Fifth Avenue to the west and Vernon Boulevard–Jackson Avenue to the east.^[164]

There is a large arched ceiling, similar to other deep-level stations in the system and in other parts of the world. Along the platform are stairs and escalators to other lines and to a mezzanine and passageways under the Grand Central Terminal concourse. Exits and entrances are located at the center, west and east ends of the platform. There is an ADA-accessible elevator toward the west end. A newsstand/snack shop is located on the platform towards the east end.

Two sections of the old Steinway Tunnel loop remain intact and are accessible to MTA personnel via the southbound track approximately 200 feet (61 m) beyond the station.^[174] The third is between the tracks and is a pump room. Parts of the loop were converted into CBTC circuit breaker rooms.^[175]

The light and signage fixture that runs along the length of the platform is an art installation, entitled V-Beam, designed by Christopher Sproat.

Image gallery

•  
  Directional sign above the staircase to the Flushing Line platform
•  
  Metal sign on tunnel wall with 42 St–Grand Central name
•  
  Looking down a staircase toward the IRT Flushing Line platform

IRT Third Avenue Line transfers

For over a decade, free transfers were provided between the subway station and 42nd Street on the elevated IRT Third Avenue Line. This started on June 14, 1942, the day after the IRT Second Avenue Line, which provided access to Queensboro Plaza and the IRT Flushing Line, was closed.^[176] The Third Avenue Line closed on May 12, 1955, rendering the transfer obsolete.^[177]

Notes

1. The next local station north was Times Square and the next express station north was 72nd Street. The next local and express stations south, respectively 33rd Street and 14th Street, were the same as on the present Lexington Avenue Line.^[12]

References

1. "Glossary". (PDF). Vol. 1. Metropolitan Transportation Authority. March 4, 2003. pp. 1–2. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 26, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
2. "Steinway Tunnel Will Open Today". The New York Times. June 22, 1915. p. 10. from the original on May 4, 2022.
3. "Annual Subway Ridership (2017–2022)". Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2022. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
4. Walker, James Blaine (1918). Fifty Years of Rapid Transit — 1864 to 1917. New York, N.Y.: Law Printing. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
5. "Interborough Rapid Transit System, Underground Interior" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. October 23, 1979. (PDF) from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
6. Report of the Board of Rapid Transit Railroad Commissioners for the City of New York For The Year Ending December 31, 1904 Accompanied By Reports of the Chief Engineer and of the Auditor. Board of Rapid Transit Railroad Commissioners. 1905. pp. 229–236.
7. "First of Subway Tests; West Side Experimental Trains to be Run by Jan. 1 Broadway Tunnel Tracks Laid, Except on Three Little Sections, to 104th Street -- Power House Delays". The New York Times. November 14, 1903. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 10, 2022.
8. "Our Subway Open: 150,000 Try It; Mayor McClellan Runs the First Official Train". The New York Times. October 28, 1904. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on December 13, 2021. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
9. "With the Surrounding Buildings It Covers an Area of Thirty City Blocks -- Can Accommodate 100,000,000 People a Year". The New York Times. February 2, 1913. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
10. "Our First Subway Completed At Last — Opening of the Van Cortlandt Extension Finishes System Begun in 1900 — The Job Cost $60,000,000 — A Twenty-Mile Ride from Brooklyn to 242d Street for a Nickel Is Possible Now". The New York Times. August 2, 1908. p. 10. from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
11. Brooklyn Daily Eagle Almanac. Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 1916. p. 119. from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
12. "Exercises in City Hall; Mayor Declares Subway Open -- Ovations for Parsons and McDonald". The New York Times. October 28, 1904. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
13. Hood, Clifton (1978). "The Impact of the IRT in New York City" (PDF). Historic American Engineering Record. pp. 146–207 (PDF pp. 147–208). (PDF) from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved December 20, 2020.   This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
14. Report of the Public Service Commission for the First District of the State of New York For The Year Ending December 31, 1910. Public Service Commission. 1911. from the original on January 20, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
15. "Ten-car Trains in Subway to-day; New Service Begins on Lenox Av. Line and Will Be Extended to Broadway To-morrow". The New York Times. January 23, 1911. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on April 5, 2018. Retrieved April 5, 2018.
16. "Central to Connect With All Subways; Underground Passage from Grand Central Terminal and Elevators to All Levels". The New York Times. May 18, 1910. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
17. "Subways at Grand Central: Vice-president of N.Y. Central Says There Will Be Five Levels, Lowest About 70 Feet Below the Surface". Wall Street Journal. May 18, 1910. p. 2. ISSN 0099-9660. ProQuest 129224454.
18. "Petition for Subway in Lexington Ave". The New York Times. May 22, 1912. from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved February 16, 2009. A petition is being circulated among the residents and property owners of the section just south of the Grand Central Station, in Park and Lexington Avenues, protesting against the proposed abandonment of the construction of the Subway in Lexington Avenue, between Forty-third and Thirty-second Streets.
19. "Money Set Aside for New Subways; Board of Estimate Approves City Contracts to be Signed To-day with Interboro and B.R.T." (PDF). The New York Times. March 19, 1913. ISSN 0362-4331. (PDF) from the original on July 7, 2021. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
20. Rogoff, David (1960). "The Steinway Tunnels". Electric Railroads. No. 29. Electric Railroaders' Association. from the original on December 10, 2019. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
21. Hood, Clifton (2004). 722 Miles: The Building of the Subways and How They Transformed New York (Centennial ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 163–168. ISBN 978-0-8018-8054-4. from the original on April 25, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2009.
22. New Subways For New York: The Dual System of Rapid Transit Chapter 1: Dual System of Rapid Transit. New York State Public Service Commission. 1913. from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
23. Burks, Edward C. (September 2, 1973). "The Ill-Starred History Of an Old Subway Tunnel". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
24. "Steinway Tunnel Will Open Today; Officials Will Attend Ceremony in the Long Island City Station at 11 A.M. First Public Train At Noon Public Service Commission Renames the Under-River Route the Queensboro Subway". The New York Times. June 22, 1915. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on April 14, 2018. Retrieved April 14, 2018.
25. "Grand Central Link Open.; Passageway Connects Terminal with Queensborough Subway". The New York Times. September 1, 1916. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
26. Brennan, Joseph (2002). "Abandoned Stations: proposed Grand Central shuttle platform". Columbia University. from the original on July 24, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2017.
27. Engineering News-record. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company. 1916. from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
28. Whitney, Travis H. (March 10, 1918). (PDF). The New York Times. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 12, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
29. (PDF). The New York Times. May 19, 1918. p. 32. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 13, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
30. "Alter Subway Plan at Grand Central; New Express Station Will Be in Lexington Avenue, from 42d to 43d Street". The New York Times. April 9, 1913. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
31. "Plan New Building on Grand Union Site; Syndicate Formed by Morgenthau Seeks to Buy Hotel Property for Office Structure". The New York Times. July 25, 1913. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
32. "Board Again Votes for Diagonal Plan; Hurries Action on Subway Connection at the Grand Central Station". The New York Times. June 28, 1913. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
33. "Adopts New Route to Link Subways; Service Board Approves Alternative Connection at 40th St. for Lexington Av. Line". The New York Times. November 15, 1913. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
34. "Diagonal Route for Subway Link; Connection for Old and New East Side Lines Decided On by Service Board". The New York Times. February 7, 1914. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
35. "The Passing of Old Hotels" (PDF). The Real Estate Record: Real Estate Record and Builders' Guide. Vol. 93, no. 2407. May 5, 1914. p. 818. (PDF) from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 20, 2019 – via columbia.edu.
36. "Added Subway Cost Was Anticipated; City Could Not Prevent $10,000,000 Increased Interest, McAneny Says". The New York Times. December 13, 1915. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
37. "Subway Under Grand Central". The Wall Street Journal. January 16, 1915. p. 7. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
38. "42d Street Station Site". The Sun. February 5, 1915. p. 11. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
39. "Plans Submitted for Subway Link; Provide Joining of Old and New Tubes with Extension of Steinway Tunnel". The New York Times. August 10, 1914. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
40. "Pershing Square Building" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. November 25, 2016. pp. 1–2, 7. (PDF) from the original on February 8, 2017. Retrieved October 19, 2019.
41. Report of the Public Service Commission for the First District of the State of New York For The Year Ending December 31, 1912 Vol. I. New York State Public Service Commission. 1913. pp. 54–55. from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
42. 1912-1913 Annual Report of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company for the Year Ended June 30, 1913. Interborough Rapid Transit Company. 1913. p. 14. from the original on April 22, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
43. 1914-1915 Annual Report of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company for the Year Ended June 30, 1915. Interborough Rapid Transit Company. 1915. p. 14. from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
44. "Improvement at Grand Central Station". Yonkers Statesman. March 7, 1916. from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved January 11, 2022.
45. "Lexington Av. Line to be Opened Today". The New York Times. July 17, 1918. p. 13. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on October 20, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
46. "Lexington Subway to Operate To-day". New York Herald. July 17, 1918. p. 8. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
47. "Open New Subway Lines to Traffic; Called a Triumph — Great H System Put in Operation Marks an Era in Railroad Construction — No Hitch in the Plans — But Public Gropes Blindly to Find the Way in Maze of New Stations — Thousands Go Astray — Leaders in City's Life Hail Accomplishment of Great Task at Meeting at the Astor" (PDF). The New York Times. August 2, 1918. p. 1. (PDF) from the original on February 21, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2016.
48. "New "H" System Brings Worst Subway Jam". New-York Tribune. August 2, 1918. pp. 1, 6. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
49. "Open New Subway Lines to Traffic; Called a Triumph" (PDF). The New York Times. August 2, 1918. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. (PDF) from the original on February 21, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
50. "Drop Shuttle Plan as Subway Crush Becomes a Peril" (PDF). The New York Times. August 3, 1918. p. 1. ISSN 0362-4331. (PDF) from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
51. "Shuttle Service In Operation". pudl.princeton.edu. Interborough Rapid Transit Company. September 27, 1918. from the original on September 24, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2016.
52. Buckley, Thomas (April 22, 1964). "Pavement in 42d Street at Grand Central Is Weakened by Early-Morning Fire in the IRT Shuttle Station". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved January 15, 2016.
53. Berger, Meyer (January 17, 1955). "About New York; Hudson Sandhogs in Compressed Air Today -- The Shuttle's Missing Track 2". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on April 9, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2018.
54. "Finish a New Link of the Dual Subway; Lexington Avenue Line North of Forty-second Street to Begin Local Service Wednesday. Branch Extends to Bronx Through service, with Times SquareGrand Central Shuttle Connections, to Open Soon. Changes in the Bronx". The New York Times. July 11, 1918. p. 20. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
55. "Mayor Runs First Lexington Av Train — Goes Back to His Old Job on the Initial Trip from 42d Street to the Bronx — Interboro Ready to Pool — City May Gain Nothing by Advancing Date of Contract Because of High Operating Costs". The New York Times. July 18, 1918. p. 20. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on January 9, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
56. "two New Subways Now Being Planned; Interborough and McAdoo Interests Likely to Build East and West Side Systems". The New York Times. February 14, 1909. from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
57. "Inter-tunnel Shaft in M'Adoo's Way; Connects Subway and Steinway Tunnel Through Third Level Under 42d Street". The New York Times. March 26, 1909. from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
58. "May Connect M'Adoo and Steinway Tubes; Utilities Board Suggests Such a Junction to the Board of Estimate. McAdoo Franchise Safe Commission Says the 42d Street Extension Won't Interfere with Other Subways". The New York Times. May 6, 1909. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
59. "M'Adoo Extension to Be Ready in 1911; Head of Hudson & Manhattan Road Promises It After the Board of Estimate Approves". The New York Times. June 5, 1909. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on April 25, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
60. "M'Adoo's Railroad Slow in Building; Two Months More Time Given for Extension to Grand Central". The New York Times. April 9, 1914. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on April 26, 2018. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
61. "Hudson Tube Asks Delay; Seventeenth Application for More Time to Extend Subway". The New York Times. February 16, 1920. from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
62. Cudahy, Brian J. (2002), Rails Under the Mighty Hudson (2nd ed.), New York: Fordham University Press, pp. 55–56, ISBN 978-0-82890-257-1, OCLC 911046235
63. "Graybar Building" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. November 22, 2016. p. 6. (PDF) from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
64. "Office Building Here To Be Largest Yet; $19,000,000 Structure, Thirty Stories High, Will Be Built Opposite Grand Central". The New York Times. August 5, 1925. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on October 17, 2019. Retrieved October 17, 2019.
65. "Graybar Bldg. Below Ground To Become Integral Part of Grand Central Terminal; Graybar Building Decorations to be Rather Unusual". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. February 11, 1927. p. 15. from the original on May 4, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2020 – via newspapers.com  .
66. "New Passageway Into Terminal Is A Part of Building: Graybar Structure to Give Access to Grand Central, Also Subway". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. September 19, 1926. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
67. "Plan to Eliminate Subway Crowding; Transit Commission Considers Remodeling Grand Central and 33d St. Stations". The New York Times. June 10, 1928. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
68. "McKee Finds Peril in Grand Central Subway; Asks Transit Board to Act on Overcrowding". The New York Times. December 30, 1929. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
69. "Lives Imperiled In I. R. T. Rush, McKee Asserts: Asks for Immediate Relief Measures at Grand Central in Letter to Fullen". New York Herald Tribune. December 30, 1929. p. 17. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1112021542.
70. "Finds New Subways Only Cure for Jams; Fullen Tells McKee Problem at Grand Central Station Is Therefore One for City. Two Remedies, He Says, Are Another East Side Trunk Line orthe "Reservoir Plan."". The New York Times. January 1, 1930. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
71. "Subway Relief Depends on City, Fullen Asserts: Reply to McKee Says Grand Central Situation Awaits East Side Line Completion". New York Herald Tribune. January 1, 1930. p. 3. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1113087283.
72. "Grand Central Relief Engages Transit Board: McKee Letter Reveals Complete Survey Under Way on I. R. T. Station Plans". New York Herald Tribune. December 31, 1929. p. 10. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1112019675.
73. "Subway Construction Planned For the Chrysler Building" (PDF). The New York Times. November 24, 1929. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
74. "I.R.T. Fights Passage To Chrysler Building" (PDF). The New York Times. January 3, 1930. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
75. "Transit Board To Test I.R.T. Bar On Passage" (PDF). The New York Times. January 13, 1930. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
76. "Chrysler Building" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. September 12, 1978. p. 4. (PDF) from the original on December 27, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
77. "To Begin Chrysler Tunnel; To Connect Skyscraper With Grand Central Terminal and Subway" (PDF). The New York Times. March 22, 1930. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
78. "Chrysler Building Gets Arcade to Grand Central: Work to Start at Once on Subway, Terminal Passageway Completion". New York Herald Tribune. March 23, 1930. p. G2. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1113690953.
79. "New Building Linked to Subway" (PDF). The New York Times. May 29, 1930. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
80. "Grand Central Gains as a Subway Centre; With 14 Passageways Linking Station to Buildings, It Nears Activity of Times Square". The New York Times. May 26, 1930. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
81. "Subway Tries Out Silent Turnstiles; Crowds at Grand Central Ask What Is Wrong After Seven Mufflers Are Installed". The New York Times. April 24, 1930. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
82. "I. R. T. Installs Silencers on Its Turnstiles". New York Herald Tribune. April 24, 1930. p. 3. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1113167911.
83. "I.R.T. Will Silence All Its Turnstiles; Transit Board Authorizes Full Use in Subway of Devices Tested at Grand Central". The New York Times. July 24, 1930. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
84. "City Transit Unity Is Now a Reality; Title to I.R.T. Lines Passes to Municipality, Ending 19-Year Campaign". The New York Times. June 13, 1940. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved May 14, 2022.
85. "Transit Unification Completed As City Takes Over I. R. T. Lines: Systems Come Under Single Control After Efforts Begun in 1921; Mayor Is Jubilant at City Hall Ceremony Recalling 1904 Celebration". New York Herald Tribune. June 13, 1940. p. 25. ProQuest 1248134780.
86. "WIDER WALK TO AID RIDERS OF SHUTTLE; Corridor From Grand Central End of Line to Lexington Trains Being Doubled CLEAN-UP DRIVE IS BEGUN Transportation Board Opens Campaign to Curb Litter, Improve Car Lighting Part of New Traffic Plan Wooden Barrier to Go". The New York Times. February 12, 1946. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on April 5, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
87. "Union Fails to Halt Subway Shuttle Job". The New York Times. March 12, 1946. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on April 5, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
88. "SUBWAY CEREMONY COSTS O'DWYER 5C; Mayor Pays at the Turnstile in Dedicating New Tunnel to Times Square Shuttle MORE IMPROVEMENTS DUE Pleased With Grand Central Project, He Says Progress Will Take Money". The New York Times. March 19, 1946. ISSN 0362-4331. from the original on April 5, 2018. Retrieved April 4, 2018.
89. "3-Dimensional Advertising Signs Installed In City Subway Station; More Are Planned". The New York Times. October 6, 1948. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 21, 2023.
90. "3-Dimensional Lit-Up Posters Invade Subway: First of Projected 480 for 6 Key Stations Set Up at Grand Central I. R. T". New York Herald Tribune. October 6, 1948. p. 14. ISSN 1941-0646. ProQuest 1327435571.
91. "Queensboro Subway Gets A Portable Newsstand" (PDF). New York Times. March 2, 1950. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
92. "Thanks to Bowery Bank". The New York Times. April 13, 1954. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 27, 2020.

April 12, 2024