All articles tagged with #amtrak
Amtrak’s Penn Station reconstruction includes long wood benches and broad public seating to improve pedestrian flow for the roughly 600,000 daily riders, with some seating reserved for ticketed passengers; the design nods to the station’s Beaux-Arts roots, but funding and governance—especially Amtrak/MTA partnership—remain unsettled.
MTA Chair Janno Lieber rejected Amtrak’s offer to become a full partner in Penn Station’s reconstruction, calling the federal oversight “bizarre” and outlining concerns about how the master developer was chosen and the impact on Long Island Rail Road operations under the MTA lease. Amtrak says it remains open to collaboration, but Lieber emphasizes protecting two-thirds of Penn Station riders and the state’s taxpayers, leaving the project’s cost and funding unresolved as construction aims to start by 2027.
Amtrak asks the MTA to become a full partner in the Penn Station rebuild after the federal government took control, noting NJ Transit has already joined. The letter contends the MTA can still opt in and warns it will move ahead with or without the MTA, with construction targeted for 2027 on an $8 billion project to transform America’s busiest transit hub.
Amtrak and Penn Transformation Partners signed a pre-development agreement to push Penn Station’s overhaul toward a final design and a detailed budget estimated at $7–8 billion, with a 2027 completion window for the pre-development phase and ongoing community engagement. Led by Amtrak’s Andy Byford and Penn Transformation Partners (Halmar/Skanska) under Vishaan Chakrabarti’s design, the plan would relocate the main entrance to Eighth Avenue, wrap Madison Square Garden into a circular form atop the terminal, and replace the current maze of ticketing and corridors with a single, daylight-flooded concourse with shops and services. Madison Square Garden would stay atop the station, and federal DOT funding supports the project as momentum toward construction builds.
New Jersey is stocking two 600‑passenger ferries and more than 500 buses as a backup plan for World Cup crowds if Amtrak service wobbles at Penn Station, moving fans from New York City to Weehawken and then to MetLife Stadium. The strategy comes amid recent fires and electrical problems at Penn Station and broader concerns about regional rail reliability, with Amtrak pledging mitigation efforts and about $30 million in upgrades, even as a long‑term Penn Station overhaul remains a multi‑year, multi‑billion project.
The Trump administration is pursuing a $7-8 billion Penn Station overhaul, aiming to fund the majority with federal money via Amtrak, federal grants, and Build America Bureau loans, while seeking contributions from New York and New Jersey; Gov. Hochul has pulled state funding, a pre-development agreement will launch the federal environmental review, and the plan—led by Vishaan Chakrabarti—includes a single-level concourse, a new Eighth Avenue entrance, a reopened Gimbels passage, a new internal truck dock, and a presidential seal bearing Trump’s name; officials say work could start by 2027 as they push to minimize the local funding gap.
New renderings reveal an estimated $8 billion transformation of New York's Penn Station, including a new Eighth Avenue entrance and expanded, naturally-lit concourses that would grow public circulation from 65,000 to 170,000 square feet. The plan requires removing the Madison Square Garden theater (with undisclosed compensation to MSG's owners) to free space; construction could begin in 2027 and take about six years. Officials say there will be disruptions but no fare hikes, and Gov. Hochul has secured funding from President Trump to support the project. The design team includes Amtrak's Andy Byford and Vishaan Chakrabarti, aiming to make Penn Station America's world-class hub.
A coalition of New York officials rallied near Penn Station to demand transparency about the private-led redevelopment, criticizing the Trump administration for sidelining local voices; Amtrak has named Penn Transformation Partners (including Vornado, Halmar and Skanska) as master developer, with plans for a new eighth-avenue entrance and improved operations, but total costs and neighborhood impact remain unclear as federal funding is discussed and state/MTA contributions are unsettled.
Five people were stabbed Sunday at Penn Station in New York; the suspect has been apprehended and the victims were transported to Bellevue Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The incident occurred near West 33rd Street and 7th Avenue ahead of President Trump's Madison Square Garden visit, prompting heightened security measures, though Amtrak reported no disruption to service.
A fire involving an Amtrak contractor maintenance vehicle in a Hudson River tunnel at Penn Station disrupted Amtrak, LIRR, and NJ Transit service Friday morning, with trains diverted to Grand Central and Hoboken, five civilians injured (two seriously), and overhead-wire damage causing suspensions that officials said should ease by around noon as responders extinguished the flames.
Leaked plans for Penn Station’s overhaul depict a Trump-era Beaux-Arts-inspired design with gold accents, expansive daylight, a giant clock, and a presidential seal bearing Donald Trump’s name near a new Eighth Avenue entrance. The project, now under Amtrak/USDOT control after sidelining the MTA, would demolish part of the Theater at MSG, add new entrances, and prepare for future Gateway tunnel expansion, with a bid to begin before 2027 and billions in federal funding. Officials have offered mixed responses, while Trump and Hochul have publicly disputed some aspects; Amtrak says permits and contracts are the immediate focus.
Gothamist obtained internal renderings of the winning Penn Transformation Partners plan to dramatically overhaul Penn Station, including a glass Eighth Avenue entrance, higher ceilings and more natural light, plus a 300-foot drop-off zone; the design features a presidential seal with 'President Donald J. Trump' near the entrance and reflects Beaux-Arts–inspired styling. The federal government oversees the project with a target to start by 2027, but the plan requires buying property from Madison Square Garden and has drawn criticism over the bidding process and transparency.
The USDOT and Amtrak named Halmar and Skanska as the master developer to transform New York Penn Station, including a new Eighth Avenue entrance, a grand train hall, expanded track capacity with limited through-running, open concourses, and improved wayfinding while preserving Madison Square Garden; the project will be funded with an additional $200 million and aims for groundbreaking by the end of 2027 under a public-private partnership.
U.S. DOT Secretary Sean P. Duffy and Amtrak announced Halmar and Skanska as Penn Transformation Partners, the private master developer chosen to overhaul New York Penn Station. The plan calls for a grand Eighth Avenue entrance, a new train hall, expanded track capacity with limited through-running, open concourses, enhanced wayfinding and retail, and a refreshed exterior for Madison Square Garden, while upgrading the subterranean structure. The project includes $200 million in FRA funding plus additional support from Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT, with shovels planned to be in the ground by the end of 2027 after finalizing contracts, permits and design. The initiative, prioritized by the Trump administration since 2025, aims to deliver a world-class hub and more reliable service for commuters and travelers.
The U.S. Department of Transportation and Amtrak have selected Penn Transformation Partners (Halmar) as the private master developer to overhaul New York Penn Station, aiming to break ground by 2027. The plan includes a grand Eighth Avenue entrance, a new train hall, expanded concourses and track capacity, limited through-running on the regional rail network, improved retail and wayfinding, and a refreshed exterior while preserving Madison Square Garden. The project will receive an additional $200 million in federal funding, with further support from Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT, and next steps include finalizing contracts, permits, design work, and achieving financial close before construction begins by year-end 2027.