Penn Station to Grand Central
There is no direct train between New York's two great rail terminals — there never has been. Here's every real way to make the hop, which one to pick, and the late-night catch to know about.
The short answer
Take any uptown 1, 2, or 3 one stop to Times Square, then the S Shuttle one stop to Grand Central — about 15 minutes for $3.00. Late at night (midnight–6 AM) the shuttle doesn't run; use the 7 train from Times Square instead. No luggage and nice weather? The 20-minute walk up Madison or Park is just as fast in practice.
Every Option, Compared
Subway via the 42nd St Shuttle — the standard answer
- 1.From the Penn Station complex, follow signs to the 34 St–Penn Station subway on the 7th Avenue side (1/2/3 trains). It has its own entrances inside the corridor network — you don't need to exit to the street.
- 2.Take any uptown 1, 2, or 3 one stop to Times Sq–42 St.
- 3.Follow the signs for the S — the 42nd St Shuttle. It runs on its own dedicated tracks and makes exactly one stop: Grand Central.
- 4.Total ride time is a few minutes; the walking inside the two stations is most of the journey. Budget 15 minutes door to door.
The shuttle doesn't run overnight (roughly midnight to 6 AM). Late at night, take the 7 from Times Sq instead — same transfer, runs 24/7.
Walk — often just as fast in daytime traffic
- 1.Exit on the 7th Avenue side and walk east on 32nd or 34th Street.
- 2.Turn north on Madison or Park Avenue.
- 3.Grand Central's main entrance is at 42nd St and Park Avenue — about 0.8 miles total.
With no luggage and decent weather, walking is genuinely competitive with the subway once you count the underground walking at both ends — and it's the most pleasant option.
Taxi or rideshare — the luggage option
- 1.Taxis: stands at 7th Ave & 32nd St or 8th Ave & 33rd St. Rideshare: the pickup zone is on 31st Street.
- 2.Crosstown midtown traffic is the wildcard — at midday or rush hour, the subway usually wins outright.
This is the right choice with heavy bags or mobility needs, not the fast choice. If your hands are full mostly because of luggage you don't need today, storing it near Penn is often the better fix — see our luggage storage guide.
Step-free route
- 1.All three stations on the subway route — 34 St–Penn Station (1/2/3), Times Sq–42 St, and Grand Central — are ADA-accessible with elevators.
- 2.Check current elevator status at mta.info before setting out; a single out-of-service elevator can break the chain.
- 3.If an elevator is down, an accessible taxi from the 7th Avenue stands is the reliable fallback.
Wait — Do You Actually Need to Switch Stations?
Since Grand Central Madison opened in 2023, the Long Island Rail Road serves both terminals. If you're making this hop just to catch an LIRR train, check the schedule before you move — a departure from the terminal you're already standing in may make the whole trip unnecessary.
Metro-North (Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines) still runs only from Grand Central, so that transfer is real. Its Penn Station Access project will eventually bring New Haven Line trains into Penn — but the timeline has slipped, with completion now estimated around 2030. Until then, Metro-North means Grand Central, full stop.
Why were two giant terminals eight blocks apart never connected? Rival railroads: the Pennsylvania Railroad built Penn Station, the New York Central built Grand Central, and neither had any interest in helping the other. The full story is in our history of the original Penn Station.
Other Quick Trips from Penn Station
The other places people ask about, in one line each:
Times Square
One stop on any uptown 1/2/3, or a 10-minute walk straight up 7th Avenue.
Herald Square (Macy's)
A 5-minute walk east on 34th Street to 6th Avenue. B/D/F/M/N/Q/R/W trains stop there if you're continuing on.
Empire State Building
A 10-minute walk east on 33rd or 34th Street to 5th Avenue. No transit needed.
Port Authority Bus Terminal
One stop on any uptown A/C/E from the 8th Avenue side to 42 St–Port Authority.
Hudson Yards / The Vessel
A 12-minute walk west on 33rd Street — or the 7 train one stop from Times Sq if you're already in the subway.
Barclays Center (Brooklyn)
A downtown/Brooklyn-bound 2 or 3 direct to Atlantic Av–Barclays Ctr, about 20 minutes.
World Trade Center / 9/11 Memorial
A downtown E from the 8th Avenue side runs direct to World Trade Center, about 15 minutes.
Heading to an airport instead? That decision has real tradeoffs — see Penn Station to JFK, LaGuardia & Newark compared. And if you're not sure which Penn Station exit to use in the first place, the Penn Station map sorts out the layout.