8. Remnants of Lost Staircases
We discovered from an railroad insider who has seen the blueprints of the original station that these glass inserts near the Grand Central shuttle once allowed light into a sealed up staircase. When the station opened the stop was for local trains only and there was a crossover below ground that allowed access to uptown and downtown local trains.
Want to learn more about the history of the New York City subway? Join our upcoming underground tour to uncover the secrets of the system while exploring the stations and lines of Lower Manhattan, starting at the birthplace of the system in City Hall Park.