WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Sean P. Duffy has announced significant strides in the New York Penn Station Transformation Project, with construction slated to begin by the end of 2027. This effort aligns with the Trump Administration’s mission to enhance America’s infrastructure.
“We’re rebuilding Penn Station on Trump Time and we are tapping our partners in the private sector to make it happen on time and on budget,” Secretary Duffy stated. “Under President Trump, USDOT is cutting through the red tape to meet our ambitious timeline, and I’m confident we’ll bring together the greatest minds to create an unmatched symbol of American architecture and infrastructure for visitors and daily commuters to enjoy for decades to come.”
In collaboration with Amtrak, USDOT has announced three key milestones for the project:
1. The solicitation for a master developer for the Transformation Project has been released, inviting interested parties to submit Letters of Interest via Amtrak’s Procurement Portal.
2. The selection of Public-Private Partnership (P3) advisors to structure agreements and facilitate the station’s modernization. Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP will serve as the Legal Advisor and KPMG as the Financial Advisor. Environmental consulting will be managed by AKRF.
3. The initiation of a Service Optimization Study aimed at accommodating passenger service growth at New York Penn Station and throughout the region.
These advisors are expected to enhance the busiest train station in the Western Hemisphere, transforming it into a world-class transit hub that improves the experience for both Americans and tourists. Their efforts will also focus on developing a P3 strategy to attract private investment, streamline project approvals, and implement innovative solutions to enrich the station’s infrastructure.
“This will be one of the biggest and most significant construction projects in U.S. history, and we want the most skilled and knowledgeable partners to help make it a success,” remarked Andy Byford, Special Advisor to the Amtrak Board. He emphasized the importance of collaborating with the private sector to achieve the project goals while prioritizing taxpayer interests.
In Fiscal Year 2024 alone, New York Penn Station welcomed more than 12 million guests, accounting for nearly 18% of total Amtrak ridership and approximately 45% of ridership along the Northeast Corridor. The station facilitates over 1,000 daily train movements from Amtrak, NJ TRANSIT, and the Long Island Rail Road across 21 tracks.
The project has seen notable developments in recent months, including USDOT taking control of the overhaul from the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority in April, reallocating $72 million in grant funding. In May, Andy Byford was appointed to oversee the project as part of a master developer public-private partnership. Further progress was marked in August when a $43 million federal grant was announced to kickstart initial development and engineering work.
Additionally, in September, management of Washington D.C.’s Union Station was reclaimed by USDOT to enhance travel experiences and improve the overall aesthetics of the nation’s capital. This comprehensive approach to modernizing key transit hubs reflects a commitment to elevating the standard of American infrastructure for the future.