It's both. The tracks make all the difference.

MetroNorth's portion is of the complex is Grand Central Terminal. It is the terminal point of their three east of the hudson lines, and the tracks stop there. Many people still call this Grand Central Station. That is incorrect.

The subway's portion of the complex, however, can be called Grand Central Station, as most subway trains, it is merely a station along their route and their tracks don't terminate there. MetroNorth and the subway have completely separate operations at Grand Central.

The signage is quite clear between the two parts of the Grand Central complex. MetroNorth will always call it GCT. Subway conductors often call it Grand Central Station, others just Grand Central, and many of the tile mosaic signs simply say "Grand Central." For the subway, except for the following paragraph, Grand Central is definitively a station.

The one subway exception relates to the Shuttle (or S train, for those not from here). This train's tracks terminate at Grand Central. At Times Square, they connect into other tracks, but the connection is blocked by pedestrian walkways. I don't rail nomenclature know well enough to call which way the Shuttle's situation should fall. But, if you are on the 4, 5 or 6 trains, you are definitely stopping at Grand Central Station.

Open alchohol containers are allowed in GCT^, but are definitely not allowed in the subway.


Next to Grand Central Terminal is a different Grand Central Station as well - the name for the post office located next to the main station building.

Over on the west side, Penn is definitely a station, and not a terminal, as most, if not all, tracks are through tracks from Long Island out to New Jersey.