first ESA pictures in GCT's caverns

Nice article and photos, but I'm still not optimistic that this project is going to be completed. They're only spent a quarter of the funds thus far and have six years to go - I could very easily see this project getting put on hold if a California-style fiscal meltdown hits the Empire State (as many believe will happen).

Much of the funding for this is already in place. If the financial situation does get even worse, I'd put my money on a bare bones level of completion, where only some of the tracks are built out, and a half assed, temporary concourse is built. Like some concourse where it's all temporary plywood walls and such. They've spent too much money on the tunneling already to just walk away.

MTA state funding has nothing to do with ESA.
ESA is almost all Federal money and already allocated.

DutchRailnut wrote:MTA state funding has nothing to do with ESA.
ESA is almost all Federal money and already allocated.

Not according to the committee report.
http://mta.info/mta/news/books/pdf/100125_0930_cc.pdf
Page 21 of the pdf shows the 63% of the funding is LOCAL funding. Not federal or city, so thus MTA/ state.
Also, so far, for work completed by the contractors, more than 40% of the funds are not committed yet.

Fulton Transit Center is almost entirely Federal and #7 Extension is almost all City funding.

I apologize if this has been answered -- it probably has but I can't remember all this stuff -- but the article says the LIRR's seventeen high-speed escalators will emerge in the Lower Level concourse near Track 115.

Will this require Metro-North platform closings? Will it restrict capacity on the west end of the Lower Level?

My Yonkers local is often over there (Track 114, I think) and the area around Tk 114-115 already gets pretty crowded at rush hour.

no the new LIRR concourse is all way at west side where former madison Ave coach shops once were.
yes we will loose the lower level loop track and about 6 yard tracks, already replaced by highbridge yard.
the lower level loop track was seldom used anyway.
MNCR will not loose any platform tracks

Shouldn't this thread be under the LIRR, not Metronorth?

Also, anyone know if the originally planned Sunnyside Station has been cut from the project? The original online documentation for the project showed a station for the LIRR in Sunnyside, Queens for trains heading to Penn Station. I think it could theoretically also be used by MNR trains coming across the Hell Gate Bridge and NJT trains headed to Sunnyside Yards. However, the station has been conspicuously removed from the images on the MTA's website (http://www.mta.info/capconstr/esas/plan ... ements.htm) but I haven't heard any announcement that it's been officially cut.

kvnbklyn wrote:Shouldn't this thread be under the LIRR, not Metronorth?

I would say no since it's about Grand Central.

But then you go on to ask a question about Sunnyside yard. That belongs in the LIRR Forum.

Thanks for the info Dutch. Btw, I just noticed this morning Tk 117 on the Lower Level is marked closed. Is that related to the ESA? (Again I realize this has probably already been asked so I apologize.)


Off-thread but not off-topic: That area with Tracks 114-115-116-117 is a confusing area at platform level. I've actually gotten turned around there more than once coming from the elevators by 112.

yes currently 3 platform tracks are closed (temporary) for EAS construction.

Tommy Meehan wrote: I would say no since it's about Grand Central.

But then you go on to ask a question about Sunnyside yard. That belongs in the LIRR Forum.

I disagree. ESA is an LIRR project and as such should be in the LIRR forum. I think you're thinking that Grand Central is MNR only because that's the way it's been for a while, but that logic seems to be overlooking the whole purpose of this project. When I looked to see what was being discussed on this project, I went to the LIRR forum first.

kvnbklyn wrote:

Tommy Meehan wrote: I would say no since it's about Grand Central.

But then you go on to ask a question about Sunnyside yard. That belongs in the LIRR Forum.

I disagree. ESA is an LIRR project and as such should be in the LIRR forum. I think you're thinking that Grand Central is MNR only because that's the way it's been for a while, but that logic seems to be overlooking the whole purpose of this project. When I looked to see what was being discussed on this project, I went to the LIRR forum first.

It does, however, affect Metro-North's operations in GCT, so I believe it's fair game.

Yeah, I say this topic is fine in the MNCR forum.

First ESA video in GCT''s caverns
Link

Herring wrote:First ESA video in GCT''s caverns
Link

That was excellent. Thanks for linking.