The MTA’s plan to bring Long Island Rail Road trains into Grand Central Terminal is half done, the head of the $8 billion project said.
East Side Access — which is expected to open to the public in August 2019 — includes eight tracks for LIRR trains and four extra-wide platforms beneath what is now the food court of Grand Central.
Extra-steep escalators — including one 180 feet long — will take riders down to the space.
It is so deep below ground that the MTA has installed special emergency generators to ensure the escalators will continue running during a blackout.
It will also have a new concourse, mezzanine and 22,000 square feet of retail space.
“We are creating something underground that is actually very hard,” said Michael Horodniceanu, president of MTA Capital Construction.