Federal authorities retract plans to demolish a city block in Midtown for Penn Station renovations
The redevelopment of Penn Station, a long-sought project to transform the dilapidated transit hub, has taken a new turn under the management of the Trump administration.
In May, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took control of the redevelopment from the MTA. Andy Byford, the former head of NYC Transit, was appointed at the same time to lead the project for Amtrak.
Byford has expressed a vision for the future Penn Station that oozes excellence in every form. The redevelopment plan aims to make the station operationally sound, safe, clean, and easy to navigate.
One significant change in the plan is the decision to halt the previous proposal to expand Penn Station by tearing down a city block in Midtown. This decision contradicts the findings of a report released last year by Amtrak, the MTA, and NJ Transit, which concluded that a Penn Station expansion is necessary for handling additional train traffic enabled by the Gateway project.
The Gateway project, now under construction, aims to add a new Hudson River train tunnel and double passenger railroad capacity between New York and New Jersey by 2038. The redevelopment proposals will be sought in October 2021, and construction on the Penn Station redevelopment project is planned to begin in 2027.
The Trump administration has announced a new timeline for the redevelopment of Penn Station, with the redevelopment proposals to be sought in October 2021. Construction on the Penn Station redevelopment project is planned to begin in 2027.
The halt on the plans to expand Penn Station by tearing down a block of Midtown has been welcomed by preservation groups and local community activists who have been opposing the idea.
The redevelopment of Penn Station is a crucial step in modernising the transit hub and improving the travel experience for millions of commuters. The project is aimed at redeveloping the transit hub to meet the demands of the 21st century and beyond.
