Amtrak is set to complete its third phase of a track improvement project in just over a month.
Officials with the company say that crews are working through the night in order to give transit riders a smoother experience to and from New York Penn Station. About 650,000 riders pass through the station every day, according to Amtrak.
“Renewing infrastructure here is a continuous process,” says Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams.
Abrams say that Amtrak is investing $150 million into its infrastructure renewal program by replacing outdated equipment.
"Some of it is already completed. Some of it is still ongoing in terms of everything from new tracks, new rails, new ballasts - which is the rocks underneath [the tracks] - new switches, ties panels,” says Abrams.
The project began in 2017. This third round is expected to be completed by Sept. 2.
Abrams says that riders can expect a more reliable community experience.
“It’s a smoother rider. It helps improve on-time performance of trains getting in on time,” he says.
The infrastructure surrounding the tracks is over 100 years old.
“It just wasn't built with the amount of the trains that come in for the capacity of people on those trains and we need to make sure that this infrastructure is equipped for not only the present, but also the future,” Abrams says.
Amtrak says that this round of improvements is part of a multiyear project to better the railroad experience.