New York, New York - After years of delays and massive costs, New York City has at last opened up a new railway station that connects Grand Central station to Long Island's local network.

As of January 25, trains from the Long Island Rail Road network from the borough of Queens and from Long Island have been arriving at Grand Central Madison (the first one pulled in at 11:07 AM with Governor Kathy Hochul on board).

The connecting terminal is located under the world-famous Grand Central Terminal (known to many as Grand Central station) and its walls are decorated with mosaics by artists like Yayoi Kusama and Kiki Smith.

The New York Transport Authority expects about 160,000 people to pass through Grand Central Madison every day. Construction work began in 2001 and was repeatedly delayed for various reasons before costs ultimately rose to around $11 billion.

The two stations are together more than an important transport hub and form a veritable landmark with the numerous mosaics of Grand Central Madison and the nearby Beaux-Arts hall of Grand Central, familiar to many from scenes in movies like Men in Black II and North by Northwest.

Despite being one of the busiest train stations in North America, Grand Central had not yet been connected to the Long Island Rail Road network.

The nearby Grand Central Madison now makes for smoother transfers from the Harlem Line, Hudson Line and Connecticut trains to the Long Island network.