NEW YORK — Natural lighting from huge skylights, spacious concourses, and dramatic entrances are key features of a dramatically reconfigured Penn Station under reconstruction options announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and renderings released by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The plans announced Wednesday offer two options — one that would retain the current two-level boarding configuration while creating a central atrium and using some of Amtrak’s current space for NJ Transit, and another that would create a single-level station, eliminating the cramped, low-ceiling nature and complex floor plan of the current layout. The MTA is inviting comment on the two alternatives here.
The proposals follow the opening of the adjacent Moynihan Train Hall at the end of December [see “News Photos: Ribbon-cutting provides first look …,” Trains News Wire, Dec. 30, 2020]. They are part of Cuomo’s Empire Station Complex plan, which would add nine new tracks south of the current Penn Station along with the development of new skyscrapers to help pay for the project [see “Digest: Canadian crude-by-rail fell …,” Trains News Wire, Feb. 26, 2021]. Cuomo said in a press release that the project will “enhance the passenger experience in North America’s busiest transportation hub. Together with our partners in New Jersey and at Amtrak, New York State is moving quickly to advance this comprehensive plan. These reconstruction alternatives provide a framework for a new and improved Penn Station that serves as an appropriate doorway to a world-class city.”
Under either alternative, the station reconstruction aims to unify operations such as ticketing, waiting areas, and cleaning services for all railroads; add more stairs, escalators, and elevators; increase concourse space to reduce congestion; and provide full accessibility in compliance with the American with Disabilities Act.
If my memory serves isn’t Penn Station owned by Amtrak? Is the state of New York going to pay for this?
Why is it even called Penn Station anymore. Pennsylvania RR hasn’t been around for OVER 50 years. When the remodel gets done, give the NYP station a new, more appropriate name. My vote: Empire Station.
Empire? Sure, right now it’s the Pitts of Penn. But Empire refers to the Empire State. This is New York City, at the very south end of a state that wants very little to do with NYC. So please, no Empire, no Excelsior. No Moynihan. No Cuomo. As to all the grandiose plans, note that Amtrak uses a tiny percentage of the capacity of the place. Make it nice, great. But commuters need – not beauty, but easy access to where they have to go. The subways – 8th Ave, which it has, but not so good, kind of sort of handicapped accessible from LIRR, not sure if true for NJT – but that’s if everything is working, which is seldom the case, 7th Ave – also helps if you don’t mind wading in what the homeless leave behind on the rare occasions that the subway elevators work. Then there’s the connection to the PATH and 6th Subway that closed, what, a quarter century ago? How about we fix all this stuff before we go grand? Yes, more tracks, more tunnel capacity under each river, new tunnel to GCT from Penn, finish East Side Access in MY lifetime…
And fix up LIRR and NJT areas at Penn, but don’t waste money. Make them nice, give us decent affordable quick dining, greatly improved platform access, easy ways to all parts of the station.
Christophe, I’ll go with Jeffrey on this. Te NYP-GCT connector may have been a good idea at one time but now it’s unrealistic and perhaps unneeded. Seems to me the only interregional trips that will be inconvenienced after all this shakes out including East Side Access, are NJT or Amtrak passengers wanting to connect to/from the MNR Harlem and Hudson Lines. And yeah, they’ll be left with a taxi or a 2-seat subway ride. With East Side Access in place where would you put an NYP connector? Below the lower LIRR station cavern? If MNR service comes back to nearly or almost so its pre-pandemic level they don’t need Amtrak vying for track space between GCT and the junction in the east Bronx where the Harlem and New Haven Lines split. The Hell Gate Line is underused as it is. Leave Amtrak BOS-WAS trains there.
What about connecting Penn Station and Grand Central? Isn’t Grand Central a better location? I don’t know enough about the costs here, but from a distance, that’s where I’d be putting resources. Grand Central is 15 minutes closer to Boston, nice than Penn even if reconstructed and gives two options for the city.
Christophe – Grand Central is a beautiful space, but it is a Terminal. Amtrak trains were moved out of there so all Amtrak service in NYC could connect. Fifteen minutes closer to Boston means 15 minutes farther from Philly and DC, even if there was a connection. Passengers from Penn Station can go north, northeast (New England), west, and south.
What happens to Madison Square Garden?