1872- The Original: Grand Central Depot.

With the current project underway at Grand Central Station, we thought it would be fun to look back in time at the history of the station.  The project, expected to be completed in 2016 and operational by 2018, will connect the Long Island Rail Road’s Main and Port Washington lines in Queens to a new underground terminal at Grand Central.  This is expected to save LIRR travelers 30-40 minutes of commuting time each day!  Scroll below to view Grand Central Station’s history in pictures.

Grand Central Station History

1871- The original Grand Central Depot opened.

1898- Grand Central Depot underwent renovations and was renamed “Grand Central Station”.  Three stories, a new roof and a new facade were all added (source).

1902- Only four years later, after a deadly accident, plans began to redesign all the tracks and rebuild a new station.

1903-1913-  Construction of the new Grand Central Station. In 1910, the old station itself was demolished and the new station was completed in 1913.

1954- A plan was proposed by William Zeckendorf to demolish and replace Grand Central with an 80-story building.  The plan was abondoned.

1962- The Metlife Building, originally called the Pan Am Building, was completed and opened in 1963.

1994-2000- After the MTA signed a long term lease on the building, Grand Central underwent renovations and restorations.

2007-  Construction began for the East Side Access project which will connect the LIRR to Grand Central.

The Pan Am Building (now the Metlife Building) was completed in 1962.