MTA reacts to Amtrak taking over Penn Station redesign

MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) – Amtrak will take over the redesign of Penn Station, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced on Thursday.

The decision removed the MTA from oversight of the massive project amid rising tensions between the White House and New York. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy wrote in a letter to the MTA, “New York City deserves a Penn Station that reflects America’s greatness and is safe and clean. The MTA’s history of inefficiency, waste, and mismanagement also meant that a new approach is needed.”

The owners of Penn Station and the U.S. DOT will also manage the rebuilding along with Amtrak. MTA CEO and chairman Janno Lieber said in a statement that he still expects the MTA to be involved in the project.

“Governor Kathy Hochul has prioritized the reconstruction of Penn Station for years, and we’re glad the federal government is focusing on it now,” he said. “As the major leaseholder in the station, we expect to participate in the administration’s and Amtrak’s efforts to ensure future plans meet the needs of everyone who uses it.”

Taxpayers are expected to save $120 million in the Penn Station redesign takeover, Duffy said.

Officials will now need to decide on a master plan. One submission, from the Grand Penn Community Alliance, calls for Madison Square Garden to be moved across the street.

A board member of the nonprofit Rethink Penn Station said stakeholders have crucial decisions to make.

“You have these gateway tunnels coming in from New Jersey that are funded and are going to be built, and they're going to add considerable capacity to Penn Station, how are we going to process those trains?” Sam Turvey told PIX11 News.

Hochul said she met with President Donald Trump about Penn Station and that the decision will save New York taxpayers’ money. City Councilman Erik Botcher is opposed to the plan, calling the federal government’s move a power grab.