Modernized and roomy: LIRR Concourse reopens in Penn Station

Long Island Rail Road riders can now look forward to a transformed transportation experience.

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Tuesday unveiled a significantly improved Long Island Rail Road Concourse in Penn Station, which is wider, brighter and features a more contemporary design.

The concourse extends from Seventh Avenue near the 1/2/3 subway to Eighth Avenue near the A/C/E subway.

Some of the more noticeable improvements include a widened concourse to 57 feet compared to the previous 30 feet, raised 18-foot ceilings and 9,500 square feet of programmable, color-changing LED ceiling lights.

“Penn Station isn’t just the busiest transit hub in North America, it is also the beating heart of New York City, and for too long it hasn’t provided an experience worthy of New Yorkers,” Hochul said. “Today, we’re raising the roof on Penn Station — literally and figuratively — and paving the way for a better future …”

The reconstruction of the Penn Station LIRR concourse is one of three major projects at the transportation hub, along with the MTA’s plans to open service to Grand Central Madison and the opening of a new Main Line third track.

Once the entire LIRR Concourse is completed in early 2023, riders can expect to see such enhancements as:

• New mechanical ventilation systems that will allow for better air circulation and an expanded volume of fresh air.
• Enhanced accessibility that includes a new elevator entrance, the replacement of four elevators, and new elevator communication systems.
• Intuitive “wayfinding.”
• More retail and dining options.

“We’re one step closer to making Penn a world-class transit hub and making New York an even more livable, and lovable, city,” Hochul said.

You can watch Hochul’s full announcement below from the Sept. 6 press briefing.

Top: Governor Hochul unveiled a dramatically more spacious Long Island Rail Road Concourse at Penn Station. Photo courtesy of NY.gov.