LIRR › Grand Central
Grand Central LIRR Station: Tickets, Crowding & On-Time Data
City Terminal Zone · Zone 1 · Accessible · From MTA open data · Not affiliated with the MTA
How busy is Grand Central station?
Tickets, not riders: a monthly or weekly ticket counts once however many times it is used, and a round trip counts once.
About 11,814 tickets a day were sold for trips starting at Grand Central (Oct 2025 – Sep 2026), the #3 most of 126 LIRR stations, and 2.9% fewer than in the 12 months before. Another 15,643 a day were sold for trips ending here.
Where do riders from Grand Central go?
The most common destinations on tickets sold from Grand Central, Oct 2025 – Sep 2026.
- Jamaica
14% of tickets1,706 a day - Bayside
4% of tickets487 a day - Rosedale
3% of tickets354 a day - Forest Hills
3% of tickets346 a day - Mineola
3% of tickets329 a day - Hicksville
3% of tickets323 a day - Little Neck
3% of tickets321 a day - Great Neck
3% of tickets315 a day
What tickets do Grand Central riders buy?
Oct 2025 – Sep 2026, all ways of buying (TrainTime app, ticket machines and ticket windows).
41% of peak and off-peak tickets from Grand Central were peak fares.
- One-way
3,986,093 sold92.4% - 10-trip
95,220 sold2.2% - Day pass
85,763 sold2% - Round trip
70,358 sold1.6% - Monthly
68,834 sold1.6%
How crowded are trains at Grand Central?
Average load as trains leave the station, weekdays, Jul 2026 – Sep 2026, from weight sensors on the LIRR's electric trains (M7 and M9). Diesel trains are not measured. Over 100% means people standing.
| Leaving at | Toward the city | Away from the city |
|---|---|---|
| 12 AM | – | 13% ~107 on board |
| 1 AM | – | 5% ~49 on board |
| 5 AM | – | 5% ~53 on board |
| 6 AM | – | 7% ~66 on board |
| 7 AM | – | 11% ~97 on board |
| 8 AM | – | 8% ~87 on board |
| 9 AM | – | 10% ~95 on board |
| 10 AM | – | 10% ~95 on board |
| 11 AM | – | 12% ~113 on board |
| 12 PM | – | 14% ~128 on board |
| 1 PM | – | 21% ~202 on board |
| 2 PM | – | 33% ~285 on board |
| 3 PM | – | 45% ~432 on board |
| 4 PM | – | 51% ~501 on board |
| 5 PM | – | 51% ~519 on board |
| 6 PM | – | 41% ~363 on board |
| 7 PM | – | 25% ~225 on board |
| 8 PM | – | 23% ~223 on board |
| 9 PM | – | 26% ~213 on board |
| 10 PM | – | 25% ~231 on board |
| 11 PM | – | 20% ~208 on board |
Elevators and escalators
The railroad reports elevator and escalator availability by branch, not by station.
Grand Central is listed as accessible. Across the City Terminal Zone, elevators worked 99.3% of the time and escalators 95.5% over the last 12 months.
Other stations on the City Terminal Zone
- Atlantic Terminal 4,640 tickets a day
- East New York 869 tickets a day
- Forest Hills 1,200 tickets a day
- Hunterspoint Av 109 tickets a day
- Jamaica 16,528 tickets a day
- Kew Gardens 808 tickets a day
- Long Island City 13 tickets a day
- Nostrand Av 864 tickets a day
- Penn Station 29,990 tickets a day
- Woodside 2,910 tickets a day
Schedules, parking and station details: Grand Central on mta.info.
Questions
How busy is Grand Central station?
About 11,814 tickets a day were sold for trips starting at Grand Central (Oct 2025 – Sep 2026), the #3 most of 126 LIRR stations, 2.9% fewer than the year before.
Is Grand Central station accessible?
Yes. The MTA lists Grand Central as fully accessible.
What fare zone is Grand Central in?
Grand Central is in zone 1 on the City Terminal Zone.
Where do people go from Grand Central?
The most common destination on tickets from Grand Central is Jamaica.
Data (data.ny.gov): MTA Railroad Ticket Sales, MTA Rail Stations, LIRR Stop-Level Occupancy, LIRR Elevator and Escalator Availability, LIRR On-Time Performance. Updated Nov 3, 2026.
Source code: github.com/MantieReid/mta-data-analysis · Analysis by Mantie Reid II (CC BY 4.0).
This is an independent data analysis project and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
Data is sourced from the MTA through the New York State Open Data Portal. Visualizations, calculations, and interpretations are independently produced. Data may be revised, incomplete, or delayed. For official transit information, visit mta.info.