Amtrak study finds way to run more trains at Penn Station without razing a Midtown block

Key Points:

• A preliminary federal study shows Amtrak’s planned reconstruction of Penn Station could increase rush hour train service between New Jersey and Midtown by 33% without expanding the station’s footprint, mainly by extending platforms and adding more stairways and escalators.
• The report introduces the concept of “through-running” trains, allowing NJ Transit and Long Island Rail Road trains to continue onto each other’s territories, which would require removing two tracks and building a super-wide platform to boost efficiency.
• Improvements to the station’s interlockings and operational discipline could further increase capacity, potentially handling up to 32 trains per hour in the morning rush and 30 in the evening, compared to the current 24 trains per hour.
• The federal government, having taken control of the project from the MTA, plans to start construction by the end of 2027 and will release a more detailed study in 2028, but costs and funding sources remain unclear.
• Amtrak’s special advisor Andy Byford and Gov. Kathy Hochul oppose expanding Penn Station’s footprint by demolishing a city block, favoring capacity increases within the existing station to better utilize upcoming infrastructure investments like the Gateway tunnels and Penn Access project.