By Tiffany Williams –
Tracks Raw Bar & Grill has officially opened at Grand Central Madison, bringing a long-time Penn Station favorite to the LIRR’s east side terminal in Manhattan. The new location aims to serve the tens of thousands of commuters who pass through the station each day, adding to the growing mix of retail and dining options at the terminal.
The opening comes after a strong summer for both the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North, which reported record-high on-time performance and post-pandemic ridership levels. Metro-North achieved an on-time performance rate above 98%, while the LIRR reached 97%. May saw particularly impressive numbers, with the LIRR posting its highest OTP for any May in recorded history (excluding 2020) at 96.7%, and Metro-North hitting 99.1%. Single-day ridership peaked at 285,050 on the LIRR and 255,638 on Metro-North.
MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber praised the addition of Tracks, saying, “LIRR riders are loving Grand Central Madison, with 95% approval in customer satisfaction surveys, and now it’s getting even better. Tracks is the first step towards filling the terminal with a full range of retail and food options to go along with the most reliable service in the railroad’s long history.”
LIRR President Rob Free noted that Tracks, which served customers at Penn Station for many years, now has a dedicated space at Grand Central Madison for commuters to relax before heading home. “This incredible terminal has already created a wonderful customer experience by opening the east side of Manhattan to LIRR commuters and now they’ll have a chance to relax with friends before heading home,” Free said.
Grand Central Partnership President and CEO Fred Cerullo welcomed Tracks to the neighborhood, highlighting the growing pedestrian traffic fueled by LIRR ridership and the expanding selection of dining and shopping options in Midtown East.
Tracks has a long history as a railroad-themed restaurant, featuring murals and vintage photographs chronicling LIRR history. After relocating to 31st Street in 2019 during the MTA’s Penn Station renovations, Tracks is preparing to reopen at Penn Station while maintaining its current location.
The Grand Central Madison opening is expected to be just the first of many new dining and retail options at the terminal, complementing nearly 90% of filled retail spaces at Grand Central Terminal and ongoing expansion at the LIRR Concourse at Penn Station.