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The Federal Transit Administration recently awarded a $73.8 million grant to MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) to help fund final design, engineering and project management for the East Side Access project, which will extend service to New York City’s Grand Central Station.

Out of more than 100,000 passengers that ride LIRR trains to Penn Station daily, half are traveling to Manhattan’s east side. The extension will provide Long Island commuters direct access to eastern Manhattan by connecting LIRR’s mainline with the Port Washington line in Queens to a new terminal beneath Grand Central Station. The project is expected to reduce commute times by 30 minutes.

The project also includes building a new station in Sunnyside Queens to provide rail access to the Long Island City business district.