Toll Of Commuting: How a new Penn Station could change NJ-NY commutes
Groundbreaking is scheduled for the end of 2027.
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The current New York Penn Station - which is entirely underground and more than 60 years old - isn't loved by commuters.
"It's just a miserable place," said Regional Plan Association President/CEO Tom Wright. "It's low ceilings, it's dirty, it's smelly, it sometimes doesn't feel safe."
Even NJ Transit President/CEO Kris Kolluri called the customer experience through Penn Station "miserable."
"We will be very much part of that [Penn Station redesign] discussion for NJ Transit customers - whose experience is a pretty miserable one right now, I must admit," Kolluri told News 12 in June. "My wife takes that train every single day to Penn Station, and I hear from her."
Renderings from Amtrak - which owns Penn Station - and the chosen "master developer," Penn Transformation Partners, show a new "grand entrance" on Eighth Avenue that will replace the 5,600-seat Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden.
Removing it will allow crews to take out some of the load-bearing columns that cramp the train platforms, and also build one open concourse for all customers.
"It would create a much better flow-through for people," said Wright. "It would be easier for people to read and understand. It would have attractive places to shop or wait for your train."
Groundbreaking is scheduled for the end of 2027. The developers say train service will not be impacted during construction. The plans mention extra capacity, but just how much is unclear. The new tunnels being built in the Gateway Project will allow for up to double the train traffic between New Jersey and New York once completed.
"We have very little information from the federal government on how they'll increase the track capacity," said Assemblyman Andrew Macurdy (D), of New Jersey's 21st District. "We need to make sure they're not just focused on the renderings above ground, but also on what's happening below ground, because that is essential for New Jersey commuters."
Kolluri said NJT is the largest user of Penn Station.
"We are going to work with Amtrak to make sure New Jersey Transit gets not only a great experience for our customers, but we do it in a way that is affordable," Kolluri said.
Amtrak and the federal government are leading the project. They announced there will be no fare hikes or surcharges on NJ Transit, Amtrak or the MTA to fund this $8 billion project.
It's a massive toll aimed at an improved city commute, with a targeted opening of 2034.
