MTA chief rejects Amtrak Penn Station partnership over oversight concerns
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.