149-722: Note: Interlocking towers A, KN, C, and JO have been deactivated. Moynihan Train Hall is an expansion of Pennsylvania Station , the main intercity and commuter rail station in New York City , into the city's former main post office building, the James A. Farley Building . Located between Eighth Avenue , Ninth Avenue , 31st Street, and 33rd Street in Midtown Manhattan , the annex provides new access to most of Penn Station's platforms for Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road passengers, serving 17 of
298-714: A mobile app called FindYourWay to help commuters navigate around Penn Station, though Zyter also plans to roll out the app at other large Amtrak stations. The station's three providers use different official addresses for the station. Note: Interlocking towers A, KN, C, and JO have been deactivated. Tracks 1–4 end at bumper blocks at the eastern end of the platform and have no access to the East River Tunnels and Amtrak's Sunnyside Yard in Queens, so they are used only by NJ Transit. In normal operations, Amtrak and NJ Transit share tracks 5–12, all three railroads share tracks 13–16, and
447-506: A "monumental act of vandalism", and its destruction galvanized the modern historic preservation movement. The 2020s saw the opening of Moynihan Train Hall , an expansion of Penn Station into the Farley Post Office building , as well as expansion of the LIRR concourse and a new direct entrance from 33rd Street to the LIRR concourse. Further plans call for adding railway platforms in
596-635: A $ 150 million contribution to the Farley project, but was facing financial problems by June 2001. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, the USPS halted funding for capital improvements to its facilities, although the agency maintained that it was still interested. The USPS facility at 90 Church Street in Lower Manhattan had been damaged by the attacks, and many of 90 Church Street's operations had been moved to
745-464: A $ 270 million contract for the first phase, including the concourse expansion under 8th Avenue, had been awarded. The $ 147.7 million construction contract for the expansion of the existing concourse was awarded to Skanska USA Civil Northeast. The work consisted of adding stairs, escalators, and elevators to the concourse. The West End Concourse was projected to be completed in September 2016, and
894-500: A $ 72 million grant to cover two-thirds of the design and engineering phase of the Penn Station Reconstruction project. It would include 11 elevators, 18 escalators, a plaza, and a connection to the 34th Street–Herald Square station . The station is served by 1,300 arrivals and departures per day, twice as many as there were during the 1970s. There are more than 600,000 subway, commuter rail and Amtrak passengers who use
1043-577: A century of operation by the Pennsylvania Railroad (1910–1963), scores of intercity passenger trains arrived and departed daily to Chicago and St. Louis on "Pennsy" rails and beyond on connecting railroads to Miami and the west. Along with Long Island Rail Road trains, Penn Station saw trains of the New Haven and the Lehigh Valley railroads. A side effect of the tunneling project was to open
1192-542: A city and national landmark. State officials aimed to complete the project by the end of 2020, under the leadership of Moynihan Station Development Corporation president Michael Evans. The state continued to push for a timely completion despite last-minute requests and budget issues, and the stresses of the project may have led Evans to kill himself in March 2020. In spite of the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Moynihan Train Hall
1341-552: A complete overhaul as part of the Enhanced Station Initiative and would be entirely closed for up to 6 months. Updates would include cellular service, Wi-Fi, USB charging stations, interactive service advisories, and maps. The Harlem and Hudson lines and the Park Avenue mainline to Grand Central were previously owned by Midtown TDR Ventures LLC, who bought them from the corporate successors to Penn Central. The MTA had
1490-413: A cross-Hudson connection were advanced in the late 19th century, but financial panics in the 1870s and 1890s scared off potential investors. In any event, none of the proposals advanced during this time were considered feasible. An early proposal for a bridge was considered but rejected. The alternative was to tunnel under the river, but this was infeasible for steam locomotive use. The development of
1639-618: A diesel train powered by Brookville BL20-GH locomotives. Electric service on the Hudson and Harlem lines uses M3 and M7 MU cars. The New Haven Line is unique in that trains use both third rail and 12.5 kV AC from overhead catenary . The line from Grand Central Terminal to Mount Vernon East uses third rail, while the section from Pelham east to New Haven State Street, which is 58 miles (93 km), uses overhead catenary. These electrification systems overlap between Mount Vernon East and Pelham stations and trains change power systems from one to
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#17328439622761788-467: A hotel with windows overlooking the interior courtyard. NJ Transit would have replaced Amtrak as the main tenant. This plan for Moynihan Station would have cost $ 818 million and contained 300,000 square feet (28,000 m) for rail uses, 850,000 square feet (79,000 m) for retail, and 250,000 square feet (23,000 m) for the post office. The Empire State Development Corporation selected Vornado Realty Trust and The Related Companies to operate
1937-639: A joint agreement between MTA and CTDOT, with the agencies paying for 33.3% and 66.7% of costs respectively. CTDOT pays more because most of the line is in Connecticut. The New Haven Line has three branches in Connecticut: the New Canaan Branch , Danbury Branch and Waterbury Branch . At New Haven, CTDOT runs two connecting services, the Shore Line East connecting service continues east to New London , and
2086-404: A lactation suite for nursing mothers. In January 2021, the new expansion, Moynihan Train Hall , opened and was named for the man who had conceived it. The $ 1.6 billion, 255,000-square-foot (23,700 m ) renovation retained the original, landmarked Beaux Arts Farley Building, added a central atrium with a glass roof, and provided access to Amtrak and LIRR trains. A new 33rd Street entrance to
2235-760: A lease extending to the year 2274 and an option to buy starting in 2017. The MTA exercised their option to buy what was now Argent Ventures' rail assets on November 13, 2018. Under the terms of the deal, the MTA purchased Grand Central Terminal, as well as the Hudson Line from Grand Central to a point 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Poughkeepsie, and the Harlem Line from Grand Central to Dover Plains. Most services running into Grand Central Terminal are electrically powered. Diesel trains into Grand Central use General Electric P32AC-DM electro-diesel locomotives capable of switching to
2384-430: A low-ceilinged " catacomb " lacking charm, especially when compared to the much larger and more ornate Grand Central Terminal. The New York Times , in a November 2007 editorial supporting development of an enlarged terminal, said that "Amtrak's beleaguered customers...scurry through underground rooms bereft of light or character," and Times transit reporter Michael M. Grynbaum called Penn Station "the ugly stepchild of
2533-474: A masterpiece of the Beaux-Arts style. Completed in 1910, it enabled direct rail access to New York City from the south for the first time. Its head house and train shed were torn down in 1963 at a time of low train ridership, with the rail infrastructure reconstituted as the smaller underground station that survives today. The New York Times editorial board described the demolition of the original station as
2682-492: A multilevel concourse that allowed views of the tracks. A skylight would have been installed; the original trusses of the roof would have been preserved, and the remainder of the roof would have been taken apart. An intermodal hall would have extended from 31st to 33rd Street, bisecting the Farley Building. One wall of the intermodal hall would have included a curved truss measuring 150 feet (46 m) high. The Farley project
2831-583: A new information desk, a second entrance in close proximity to the NJ Transit concourse that provides improved access towards the Seventh Avenue side of the Station, two new Passenger Information Display Systems boards that display NJ Transit departure information and a lactation suite for nursing mothers. The LIRR's connecting concourse runs below West 33rd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, as it has since
2980-659: A new southern annex to connect to two new Gateway Program tunnels under the Hudson River, adding underground connections to the Herald Square station and with the PATH to the 33rd Street station , and renovating the core Penn Station under Madison Square Garden. Until the early 20th century, the PRR's rail network terminated on the western side of the Hudson River (once known locally as
3129-448: A potential tenant. In exchange, some aspects of the design were changed, and Amtrak was to take a part of the retail revenue. Some $ 169 million provided by federal and state sources was already in place when a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grant arrived in early 2010. This money was used to pay for the $ 267 million Phase 1; most of the remaining funds came from $ 83.4 million of stimulus money from
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#17328439622763278-520: A press release that it had decided to resume work on the train hall. At that time, the project was renamed Moynihan Train Hall. By September 2016, Phase 2 was expected to cost $ 1.6 billion. The project was to be built by Skanska AB, and the retail space would be developed by The Related Companies and Vornado Realty. The companies signed a contract in June 2017. Vornado and Related leased the building for 99 years, and in exchange, contributed $ 630 million to
3427-639: A pure electric mode. These locomotives have contact shoes compatible with Metro-North's under-running 750 V DC third rail power distribution system. Shoreliner series coaches are used in push-pull operation. On the Hudson Line, local trains between Grand Central and Croton–Harmon are powered by third rail. Through trains to Poughkeepsie are diesel powered and do not require a change of locomotive at Croton-Harmon. The Harlem Line has third rail from Grand Central Terminal to Southeast and trains are powered by diesel north to Wassaic . At most times, passengers between Southeast and Wassaic must change at Southeast to
3576-578: A rail connection to the West Side Rail Yard opened, and in 1991, the opening of the Empire Connection allowed Amtrak to consolidate all of its New York City trains at Penn Station and save $ 600,000 a year in fees; previously, trains from the Empire Corridor terminated at Grand Central Terminal , a legacy of the two stations' respective roots in separate railroads. In 1994, the station
3725-464: A sculptural group, The Hive , that depicts skyscrapers hanging from the ceiling. Part of the Moynihan Train Hall project is an expansion of the preexisting West End Concourse under the eastern side of the Farley Building. Located under the grand staircase of the post office, the concourse was widened to serve nine of Pennsylvania Station's 11 platforms, and new street entrances were opened from
3874-467: A sculptural group. The project had been in consideration since the early 1990s, with the first blueprints made public in 1993. However, several previous plans had failed because of a lack of funding and logistical difficulties. Amtrak withdrew as a tenant in 2004, but returned after the Farley Building was sold to the New York state government in 2006. A first phase, involving an expansion of a concourse under
4023-637: A stop near Penn Station to Bethesda, Maryland and Arlington, Virginia. Go Buses runs buses from a stop near Penn Station to Newton, Massachusetts and Cambridge, Massachusetts. Most intercity and commuter bus services to and from midtown Manhattan use the Port Authority Bus Terminal , located approximately 0.5 miles (0.8 kilometers) to the north of Penn Station. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to bring Metro-North Railroad commuter trains to Penn Station as part of its Penn Station Access project. The East Side Access project, which
4172-546: Is at the center of the passenger concourse. The hall also includes 120,000 sq ft (11,000 m) of retail space. Moynihan Train Hall contains passenger facilities for Amtrak, its primary tenant. These include a ticketing and baggage area, a waiting lounge, conference spaces, and a balcony 20 ft (6.1 m) above the hall. As part of the Moynihan Train Hall Public Art Program, several pieces of temporary and permanent artwork are presented at
4321-577: Is authorized by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the New York City Department of Transportation . The following MTA Regional Bus Operations buses stop near Penn Station: Intercity bus service to and from Penn Station is provided by Vamoose Bus , Tripper Bus, and Go Buses . Vamoose Bus runs buses from a stop near Penn Station to Bethesda, Maryland; Arlington, Virginia; and Lorton, Virginia. Tripper Bus runs buses from
4470-752: Is diesel only. Power is collected from the bottom of the third rail as opposed to the top, used by other third rail systems, including the Long Island Rail Road and New York City Subway. This system is known as the Wilgus-Sprague third rail, and the SEPTA Market–Frankford Line in Philadelphia and Metro-North are the only two systems in North America that use it. It allows the third rail to be completely insulated from above, thus decreasing
4619-842: Is operated under contract with the Connecticut Department of Transportation . Metro-North works under contract with New Jersey Transit for the west-of-hudson lines located in New Jersey and New York in Metro-North also provides local rail service within the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx . Metro-North is the descendant of commuter rail services dating back as early as 1832. By 1969, they had all been acquired by Penn Central . MTA acquired all three lines by 1972, but Penn Central continued to operate them under contract. Service
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4768-621: The 1994 Northridge earthquake . However, the House of Representatives would not approve any more funding, and the Senate only approved $ 40 million, bringing the total amount raised to $ 50 million. Opponents, including representatives Frank R. Wolf and Harris W. Fawell , said that the funds had not been authorized in Amtrak's budget, and expressed concern that the city and state might not be able to raise matching funds. The $ 10 million appropriation
4917-501: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 . Phase 1 consisted of the two fully-designed elements of the plan: an extended underground West End Concourse for the Long Island Rail Road and two entrances to the existing Penn Station platforms through the Farley Building on Eighth Avenue. A groundbreaking ceremony took place on October 18, 2010. In May 2012, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) announced that
5066-526: The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The $ 1.6 billion renovation restored the Beaux-Arts Farley Building, a designated landmark, and added a central atrium with a glass roof. Moynihan Train Hall includes retail space, a 320-seat waiting area for ticket-holding passengers, and public restrooms. The hall is decorated with three artworks: a ceiling triptych named Go , a group of photographic panels, and
5215-639: The Empire State Building , Koreatown , and Macy's Herald Square . Penn Station has 21 tracks fed by seven tunnels, including its two North River Tunnels , four East River Tunnels , and one Empire Connection tunnel. It is at the center of the Northeast Corridor , a passenger rail line that connects New York City with Boston to its north and Philadelphia , Baltimore , and Washington, D.C. to its south, along with various intermediate stations. Intercity trains are operated by Amtrak , which owns
5364-592: The Hartford Line service continues north to Hartford , and Springfield, Massachusetts . Amtrak operates inter-city rail service along the New Haven and Hudson Lines. The New Haven Line is part of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor . Amtrak's Northeast Regional runs from New Rochelle to New Haven, while Stamford and New Haven are also served by the high-speed Acela . At New Haven, the New Haven Line connects to
5513-598: The Hartford and New Haven Railroad , which provided routes to Hartford , Springfield, Massachusetts, and eventually Boston . The two roads merged in 1872 to become the NYNH&;H, growing into the largest passenger and commuter carrier in New England. In the early 20th century, the NYNH&H came under the control of J.P. Morgan . Morgan's bankroll allowed the NYNH&H to modernize by upgrading steam power with both electric (along
5662-414: The James A. Farley Building , the city's former main post office across the street which was designed by the same firm as the original Penn Station; Moynihan had shined shoes in the original station as a boy. Many redevelopment or expansion concepts were proposed over the 1990s and 2000s, but none reached fruition until funding from the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act enabled the expansion of
5811-475: The New York Metropolitan Area , running service between New York City and its northern suburbs in New York and Connecticut , including Port Jervis , Spring Valley , Poughkeepsie , Yonkers , New Rochelle , Mount Vernon , White Plains , Southeast and Wassaic in New York and Stamford , New Canaan , Danbury , Bridgeport , Waterbury , and New Haven in Connecticut. Service in Connecticut
5960-510: The North River ) at Exchange Place in Jersey City, New Jersey . Manhattan-bound passengers boarded ferries to cross the Hudson River for the final stretch of their journey. The rival New York Central Railroad 's line ran down Manhattan from the north under Park Avenue and terminated at Grand Central Depot (later replaced by Grand Central Terminal ) at 42nd Street . Many proposals for
6109-972: The Pascack Valley Line . The Port Jervis Line is accessed from two NJ Transit lines, the Main Line and the Bergen County Line . The Port Jervis Line terminates in Port Jervis, New York, and the Pascack Valley line in Spring Valley, New York, in Orange and Rockland Counties, respectively. Trackage on the Port Jervis Line north of the Suffern Yard is leased from the Norfolk Southern Railway by
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6258-510: The busiest transportation facility in the Western Hemisphere , serving more than 600,000 passengers per weekday as of 2019 . The station is located beneath Madison Square Garden in the block bounded by Seventh and Eighth Avenues and 31st and 33rd Streets and in the James A. Farley Building , with additional exits to nearby streets, in Midtown Manhattan . It is close to several popular Manhattan locations, including Herald Square ,
6407-559: The electric locomotive at the turn of the 20th century made a tunnel feasible. In 1901, PRR president Alexander Cassatt announced the railroad's plan to enter New York City by tunneling under the Hudson and building a grand station on the West Side of Manhattan south of 34th Street . The station would sit in Manhattan's Tenderloin district , a historical red-light district known for its corruption and prostitution. Beginning in June 1903,
6556-470: The 1850s and 1860s, was originally part of the Erie's mainline from Jersey City to Buffalo, New York. The Pascack Valley Line was built by the New Jersey and New York Railroad , which became a subsidiary of the Erie. Trains that service Port Jervis formerly continued to Binghamton and Buffalo, New York (today used only by freight trains), while Pascack Valley service continued to Haverstraw, New York . In 1956,
6705-588: The Amtrak New Haven–Springfield Line . The Hudson Line is part of the Empire Corridor , and the Yonkers, Croton-Harmon, and Poughkeepsie stations are all served by Amtrak as well as Metro-North. Freight trains operate over Metro-North lines, though the company itself does not operate freight services. The Hudson Line connects with the Oak Point Link and is the main route for freight to and from
6854-579: The Boston and Albany to Albany , Boston , Vermont , and Canada . On April 1, 1873, the New York and Harlem Railroad was leased by Cornelius Vanderbilt , who added the railroad to his complex empire of railroads , which were run by the NYC. Grand Central Depot, built in 1871, served as the southern terminus of NYC's Harlem and Hudson Divisions; it would be replaced by Grand Central Station in 1900, and by Grand Central Terminal in 1913. The Boston and Albany came under
7003-524: The Bronx are planned as part of this project, at Co-op City , Morris Park , Parkchester / VanNest , and Hunts Point . The MTA also proposes a second service from the Metro-North's Hudson Line to Penn Station using Amtrak's West Side Line in Manhattan. The Penn Station Access project would provide direct rides from Connecticut , Westchester County , the Lower Hudson Valley , and the Bronx to West Midtown; ease reverse-commuting from Manhattan and
7152-475: The Bronx and Long Island. Freight railroads CSX , CP Rail , P&W , and Housatonic Railroad have trackage rights on sections of the system. See Rail freight transportation in New York City and Long Island . Metro-North provides service west of the Hudson River on trains from Hoboken Terminal , New Jersey, jointly run with NJ Transit under contract. There are two branches: the Port Jervis Line and
7301-495: The Bronx to Westchester County, the Lower Hudson Valley, and Connecticut; and provide transportation service to areas of the Bronx without direct subway service. Penn Station does not have a unified design or floor plan but rather is divided into separate Amtrak, LIRR and NJ Transit concourses with each concourse maintained and styled differently by its respective operator. The Amtrak and NJ Transit concourses are located on
7450-533: The East River tunnels on March 18, 1908. A small portion of Penn Station opened on September 8, 1910, in conjunction with the opening of the East River Tunnels , and LIRR riders gained direct railroad service to Manhattan . On November 27, 1910, Penn Station was fully opened to the public. With the station's full opening, the PRR became the only railroad to enter New York City from the south. During half
7599-589: The Empire Connection can only access tracks 1–9 and the LIRR's West Side Yard can only access tracks 10–21. All station tracks are powered by 12 kV overhead wire . Tracks 5–21 also have 750 V DC third rail . Due to the lack of proper ventilation in the tunnels and station, only electric locomotives and dual-mode locomotives are scheduled to enter Penn Station. Diesel-only NJT trains terminate at Hoboken Terminal or Newark Penn Station , and diesel-only LIRR trains terminate at or prior to Long Island City . Metro-North Railroad [REDACTED] Map of
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#17328439622767748-492: The Erie Railroad began coordinated service with rival Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad , and in 1960 they formed the Erie Lackawanna . Trains were rerouted to the Lackawanna's Hoboken Terminal in 1956–1958. Passenger rail in the United States began to falter after World War II. Commuter services historically had always been unprofitable, and were usually subsidized by long-distance passenger and freight services. As these profits disappeared, commuter services usually were
7897-401: The Farley Building, started in 2010 and was completed in June 2017. Construction of the train hall proper commenced in 2017, and it opened January 1, 2021. Moynihan Train Hall occupies part of the James A. Farley Building, a Beaux-Arts structure designed by McKim, Mead & White alongside the original Penn Station , and opened in 1914 as New York City's main post office. The building occupies
8046-438: The Farley Building. Negotiations resumed in mid-2002. By that October, the New York state government had arranged to buy the Farley Building from the USPS for $ 230 million, with the USPS vacating much of the building. Amtrak was intended to be Moynihan Station's main tenant, but withdrew in 2004, citing that it could not pay rent at the new station because of financial shortfalls. State officials continued to search for partners in
8195-424: The Farley Post Office. Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK)'s plan, which was made public in May 1993, called for a 120-foot parabolic arched roof, rising above a passenger concourse within the post office's old sorting room. Moynihan sought $ 100 million for the project, and U.S. president Bill Clinton included $ 10 million in federal money for the station as part of a bill to provide relief for victims of
8344-421: The Harlem, Hudson and New Haven Lines on January 1, 1983 and merged them into the Metro-North Commuter Railroad. Metro-North took over the former Erie Lackawanna services west of the Hudson and north of the New Jersey state line. Since those lines are physically connected to NJ Transit, operations were contracted to NJ Transit with Metro-North subsidizing the service and supplying equipment. In preparation for
8493-422: The Hudson River in New York are owned and operated by Metro-North, except Suffern , which is owned and operated by NJ Transit. In partnership with NY Waterway, Metro-North also provides ferry service across the Hudson River to Ossining station and Beacon station , with the Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry and Newburgh–Beacon Ferry respectively. Most of the trackage east of the Hudson River and in New York State
8642-457: The LIRR and Amtrak, particularly at night, when Moynihan Train Hall is closed. Plans also call for the facility to serve the Metro-North Railroad , the main commuter railroad for New York City's northern suburbs, when the Penn Station Access project is complete. The completion of the hall increased the amount of space in Penn Station's concourse by 50%. The train hall will alleviate congestion in Penn Station, which saw 650,000 daily riders before
8791-775: The LIRR and NJ Transit. The following Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) services originate and terminate at Penn Station: All branches connect at Jamaica station except the Port Washington Branch. Jamaica station also connects to Airtrain JFK for service to John F. Kennedy International Airport . Normally, the LIRR uses tracks 17 to 21 exclusively and shares tracks 13 to 16 with Amtrak and NJT. The LIRR uses tracks 11 and 12 on rare occasions. The following NJ Transit Rail Operations (NJT) branches originate and terminate at Penn Station: NJT normally uses tracks 1 to 4 exclusively, as these four tracks end at bumper blocks to their east. NJT shares tracks 5 through 12 with Amtrak, and occasionally uses tracks 13 to 16, which are shared with Amtrak and
8940-482: The LIRR concourse opened at the same time. The station received a place in the world selection for the 2021 Prix Versailles in the passenger stations category. Following the opening of the 33rd Street entrance, the LIRR concourse was doubled in width from 30 to 57 feet (9.1 to 17.4 m), and the ceilings were raised to a minimum height of 18 feet (5.5 m) by removing seven "head knockers", low-hanging steel beams only 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) above
9089-441: The LIRR has the exclusive use of tracks 17–21 on the north side of the station. From the east, the East River Tunnels' lines 1 and 2 (the more southerly tubes) can only access tracks 5–17 and are used by most Amtrak and NJ Transit trains, while the East River Tunnels' lines 3 and 4 (the more northerly tubes) can only access tracks 14–21 and are mostly used by LIRR. From the west, the North River Tunnels can access tracks 1–19, while
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#17328439622769238-495: The LIRR. Connections are available to the following New York City Subway stations: Connections are also available to the PATH system at 33rd Street station, under Sixth Avenue on Herald Square. The JSQ-33 and HOB-33 services terminate at 33rd Street on weekdays, and are combined into the JSQ-33 (via HOB) service on late nights, weekends and holidays. NYC Airporter provides bus transportation to and from John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport , and
9387-449: The LIRR. The New Haven Railroad's trustees initially opposed New York Central's takeover of the New Haven Line, as they felt that the $ 140 million offer for the New Haven Line was too low. After some discussion, the trustees decided to continue operating the New Haven Line, but only until June 1967. In 1968, following the Erie Lackawanna's example, the NYC and its rival the Pennsylvania Railroad formed Penn Central Transportation with
9536-420: The MTA also entered into a long-term lease of Penn Central's Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines. Penn Central continued to operate the now-subsidized lines under contract to the MTA. In April 1970, Rockefeller proposed that the state take over the Hudson and Harlem Lines, and the next month, he signed a bond issue that provided $ 44.4 million in funding to these lines. The MTA and ConnDOT took over ownership of
9685-418: The MTA and Amtrak to install seats in the main portion of the hall. The hall's lack of large central signage, and the fact that it did not actually increase Penn Station's track capacity, have also been criticized. Pennsylvania Station (New York City) Pennsylvania Station (also known as New York Penn Station or simply Penn Station ) is the main intercity railroad station in New York City and
9834-425: The MTA and the United Transportation Union (UTU) broke off, Metro-North employees went on strike. Commuters were left to carpool or use shuttle buses running to subway stations in the Bronx. Metro-North wanted to eliminate minimum staffing requirements and wanted the complete freedom to assign crews–a demand that the employees would not agree to. This was the first strike to shut down the New Haven, Harlem, and Hudson at
9983-470: The MTA's "Mail&Ride" program where monthly passes are delivered by mail. There is a discount for buying tickets online and through Mail&Ride. A surcharge is added if a ticket is purchased on a train. Ticket types available include One-way, Round-trip (two One-way tickets), 10-trip, Weekly (unlimited travel for one calendar week), Monthly (unlimited travel for one calendar month), and special student and disabled fare tickets. MetroCards are available on
10132-408: The MTA, but NJ Transit owns all of the Pascack Valley Line, including the portion in Rockland County, New York . Most stops for the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley Lines are in New Jersey, so NJ Transit provides most of the rolling stock and all the staff; Metro-North supplies some equipment. Metro-North equipment has been used on other NJ Transit lines on the Hoboken division. All stations west of
10281-434: The MTA. Three lines provide passenger service on the east side of the Hudson River to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan : the Hudson , Harlem , and New Haven Lines . The Beacon Line is a freight line owned by Metro-North but is not in service. The Hudson and Harlem Lines terminate in Poughkeepsie and Wassaic , New York, respectively. The New Haven Line is operated through a partnership between Metro-North and
10430-528: The Moynihan Train Hall Team, which includes primary client Empire State Development in a public-private partnership with Vornado Realty Trust , architect Skidmore, Owings & Merrill , WSP USA (construction management), Skanska USA (construction), Severud Associates (structural engineering), Jaros, Baum & Bolles (MEP/FP/IT/Telecom), Langan (civil/geotechnical engineering) and several other specialty designers and contractors. The Moynihan Train Hall has been criticized for its lack of public seating in
10579-460: The NYC, the NYNH&H, and the Erie Lackawanna had to maintain service on these lines. Mergers between railroads were seen as a way to curtail these issues by combining capital and services and creating efficiencies. In February 1965, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller and Connecticut Governor John N. Dempsey jointly suggested that operations of the New Haven Line, the New Haven Railroad 's struggling commuter rail operation, be transferred to
10728-568: The New Haven Line in January 1971. In May 1972, the MTA also gained ownership of the Hudson and Harlem Lines. Penn Central continued to operate all three routes under contract. As part of its plan to modernize the commuter lines, the MTA ordered high-speed "Cosmopolitan" railcars for the New Haven Line as well as for the Hudson and Harlem Lines. After a series of delays and derailments in mid-1972, which involved Penn Central trains near Grand Central Terminal, Chairman Ronan expressed his disapproval of
10877-570: The New Haven Line) and diesel power (branches and lines to eastern and northern New England). The NYNH&H saw much profitability throughout the 1910s and 1920s until the Great Depression of the 1930s forced it into bankruptcy. Commuter services west of the Hudson River, today's Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines, were initially part of the Erie Railroad . The Port Jervis Line, built in
11026-508: The New Haven Line, including the New Canaan, Danbury, and Waterbury branches, was owned by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H). These branches were started in the 1830s with horse-drawn cars, later replaced by steam engines, on a route that connected Lower Manhattan to Harlem . Additional lines started in the mid-19th century included the New York and New Haven Railroad and
11175-565: The New York Central Railroad as part of a plan to prevent the New Haven Railroad from going bankrupt. If the operational merger occurred, the proposed Metropolitan Commuter Transit Authority (MCTA; now Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA) and the existing Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) would contract with New York Central to operate the New Haven Line to Grand Central Terminal. Due to growing debts,
11324-687: The New York State Department of Transportation announced that the Newburgh–Beacon Shuttle would be developed in conjunction with Metro-North, running from the Beacon station on the Hudson Line to the Newburgh park-and-ride on Route 17K . Metro-North spent the better part of its early days updating and repairing its infrastructure. Stations, track, and rolling stock all needed to be repaired, renovated, or replaced. The railroad succeeded and by
11473-533: The State of Connecticut. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) owns the tracks and stations within Connecticut, and finances and performs capital improvements. MTA owns the tracks and stations and handles capital improvements within New York State. MTA performs routine maintenance and provides police services for the entire line, its branches and stations. New cars and locomotives are typically purchased in
11622-544: The West End Concourse of the LIRR under the Farley Building in 2016. In 2016 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced plans for the renovation of Penn Station and mixed-use redevelopment of the Farley Building, including development of a new train hall, which he called the Empire Station Complex. From 2019 to 2020 the ticketed waiting room on the main concourse underwent a $ 7.2 million renovation that
11771-481: The block across Eighth Avenue from the current Penn Station facilities, and is bounded by Eighth Avenue to the east, 31st Street to the south, Ninth Avenue to the west, and 33rd Street to the north. The James A. Farley Building is a New York City designated landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The train hall occupies a portion of the post office's mail sorting hall, while most of
11920-460: The chances of a person being electrocuted by coming in contact with the rail. It also reduces the impact of icing in winter. The Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines and the New Canaan branch and all passenger rolling stock is equipped with cab signalling , which displays the appropriate block signal in the engineer's cab. All rolling stock is equipped with Automatic Train Control (ATC), which enforces
12069-495: The city up to the suburbs, and within 10 years of opening, two-thirds of the daily passengers coming through Penn Station were commuters. The station put the Pennsylvania Railroad at comparative advantage to its competitors offering direct service from Manhattan to the west and south. Other railroads began their routes at terminals in Weehawken , Hoboken , Pavonia and Communipaw which required passengers from New York City to take
12218-404: The city's two great rail terminals." After its nadir in the 1960s, ridership exploded in subsequent decades, a situation never contemplated by the structure's designers. By the 2010s, the station operated at almost three times its intended capacity; over 600,000 passengers used the station daily in 2019. In the early 1990s, U.S. Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan proposed building a new station in
12367-498: The concourse could only be accessed from the Amtrak entrance on 32nd Street. Plans for a new entrance from 31st Street to the NJ Transit concourse were announced in 2006, and the entrance opened in 2009. After the September 11 attacks , security was increased and passenger flow curtailed. In 2002, $ 100 million of work added security features such as lighting, cameras, and barricades. The taxiway under Madison Square Garden, which ran from 31st Street to 33rd Street at mid-block,
12516-472: The concourse's floor which were part of the original Penn Station; the expansion was completed in March 2023. 33rd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues was converted into a pedestrian plaza and permanently closed to vehicular traffic. The plaza opened in June 2024 as part of a $ 65 million project funded by Vornado. In November 2024, the United States Department of Transportation provided
12665-593: The corporation were reviewing plans by 1998, when the Clinton administration included $ 11.7 million for the project in a budget submitted to Congress. By that March, officials had formed an agreement in which the USPS would retain its operations in part of the Farley Building while giving over another portion to the new train hall. Three months later, the Pennsylvania Station Redevelopment Corporation selected SOM and Parsons Brinckerhoff to lead
12814-474: The decade, Grand Central Terminal was protected under the city's new landmarks preservation act , a protection upheld by the courts in 1978 after a challenge by Grand Central's owner, Penn Central (the corporate successor of the PRR, following its merger with the rival New York Central Railroad). Post-1968, the core Penn Station has been underground, sitting below Madison Square Garden, 33rd Street, and Two Penn Plaza. The core has three levels: concourses on
12963-556: The early 1990s, U.S. senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan began championing a plan to rebuild a replica of the historic Penn Station, in which he had shined shoes during the Great Depression . He proposed rebuilding the station in the Farley Post Office building. At the time, existing facilities at Penn Station were overcrowded and the United States Postal Service (USPS) was planning to relocate much of its operations from
13112-498: The engineering team that would design and build Penn Station facilities within the Farley Building. An agreement on the general layout was reached in December 1998. At the time, the train hall was projected to open in December 2002 at a cost of $ 315 million. David Childs of SOM presented another design for the Farley train hall. Childs's design would have involved demolishing the post office's sorting room floor and replacing it with
13261-487: The entire Metro-North Railroad system. This schematic is not to scale. The Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company ( reporting mark MNCW ), also branded as MTA Metro-North Railroad and commonly called simply Metro-North , is a suburban commuter rail service operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public authority of the U.S. state of New York . Metro-North serves
13410-485: The federal government, the same year. Many of the other Northeastern railroads, including the Erie Lackawanna, followed Penn Central into bankruptcy, and so they had been merged into Conrail. However, the handover to private owners did not happen. In March 1981, the administration of President Ronald Reagan suggested that struggling Conrail commuter operations across five states be transferred to state agencies. At
13559-502: The first level below the street level while the Long Island Rail Road concourse is two levels below street level. The main concourse, now primarily used by NJ Transit which was principally used by Amtrak until the opening of the Moynihan Train Hall in 2021, is at the west end of the station directly beneath Madison Square Garden. It was created out of the original station's waiting rooms and main concourse, though few remnants of
13708-438: The first to be affected. Many railroads began to gradually discontinue their commuter lines after the war. By 1958, the NYC had already suspended service on its Putnam Division, while the newly formed Erie Lackawanna, in an effort to make a successful merger, began to prune some of its commuter services. Most New Yorkers still chose the train as their primary means of commuting, making many of the other lines heavily patronized. Thus
13857-509: The hall's construction. Public sources raised the remainder: $ 550 million from the New York state government, and $ 420 million from Amtrak, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority , the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and a federal grant. In August 2017, a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the train hall. The work involved the restoration of the Farley Building's 200,000-square-foot (19,000 m) facade, protected as
14006-550: The hall's opening, its eateries included a craft brewery within Amtrak's portion of the hall and an outpost of The Dead Rabbit pub. The hall also became a popular meeting spot for K-pop dance clubs. On January 11, 2021, Cuomo announced a proposal to connect the High Line linear park, two blocks west, to the Moynihan Train Hall. The connection would include a 1,200-foot (370 m) spur, which would run along 30th Street and Dyer Avenue to Manhattan West , across Ninth Avenue from
14155-410: The hall, including video art on digital advertising screens. The space contains three permanent artworks. Kehinde Wiley designed a stained-glass triptych on the ceiling, named Go . Along an 80-foot (24 m) stretch of wall, Stan Douglas 's photographic panels, Penn Station's Half Century , depicts passengers of the original Penn Station. At the 31st Street entrance, Elmgreen & Dragset created
14304-488: The hope of revitalizing their fortunes. In 1969 the bankrupt NYNH&H was also combined into Penn Central by the Interstate Commerce Commission . However, this merger eventually failed, due to large financial costs, government regulations, corporate rivalries, and lack of a formal merger plan. In 1970 Penn Central declared bankruptcy, at the time the largest corporate bankruptcy ever declared. The same year,
14453-542: The interstate Hudson Tubes (now PATH ) or ferries across the Hudson River before boarding their trains. By 1945, at its peak, more than 100 million passengers a year traveled through Penn Station. By the late 1950s, intercity rail passenger volumes had declined dramatically with the coming of the Jet Age and the Interstate Highway System . The station's exterior had become somewhat grimy, and due to its vast scale,
14602-447: The layout of the platforms, Moynihan Train Hall serves 17 of Penn Station's 21 tracks, which are used by Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Amtrak. Platforms serving the southernmost four tracks, used by NJ Transit, could not be extended to the new facility. Moynihan Train Hall provides access to all LIRR and Amtrak services, with customer service facilities for both railroads. The existing station house continues to provide alternate access to
14751-544: The main areas. Only the ticketed waiting areas contain seats. Passengers in the main hall sometimes sit on the floor while waiting for trains, which security officers sometimes prohibit. Officials have stated the lack of seating is designed for improving the "circulation" of people, but critics have argued it is hostile architecture to keep away the homeless. In the year after the Moynihan Train Hall opened, several politicians, including U.S. representative Jerrold Nadler and Manhattan borough president Mark Levine , advocated for
14900-489: The mid 90s gained both respect and monetary success, according to the MTA's website. 2006 was the best year for the division, with a 97.8% rate of on-time trains, record ridership (76.9 million people), and a passenger satisfaction rating of 92%. In December 2017, the MTA announced that the Metro-North Railroad stations at White Plains , Harlem–125th Street , Crestwood , Port Chester , and Riverdale , would receive
15049-457: The new Penn Plaza and Madison Square Garden were announced in 1962. In exchange for the air rights to Penn Station, the PRR would receive a smaller underground station at no cost and a 25 percent stake in the new Madison Square Garden Complex. Modern architects rushed to save the ornate building, but to no avail; demolition of the above-ground head house began in October 1963. A giant steel deck
15198-572: The next few years commuter lines under the control of Conrail were gradually taken over by state agencies such as the newly formed NJ Transit in New Jersey, the established SEPTA in southeastern Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston. In March 1982, the MTA announced it would take over the Harlem, Hudson, and New Haven Lines as long as there was no extra operating cost involved. The MTA and ConnDOT officially took control of
15347-521: The north of Peekskill, such as Poughkeepsie, were considered to be long-distance services. The other major commuter line was the Putnam Division running from 155th Street in upper Manhattan (later from Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx ) to Brewster, New York . Passengers would transfer to the IRT Ninth Avenue Line for midtown and lower Manhattan . From the mid-19th century until 1969,
15496-514: The only official reporting marks registered and recognized on AEI scanner tags is 'MNCW'. Rolling stock owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation bears the CTDOT seal and either the New Haven ("NH") logo or the MTA logo and is identified using the reporting mark 'CNDX'. Metro-North offers many different ticket types and prices depending on the frequency of travel and distance of
15645-443: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. When the hall opened, officials anticipated it to be used primarily by Amtrak passengers, which accounted for about five percent of daily ridership prior to the pandemic. The majority of LIRR, NJ Transit, and New York City Subway customers were expected to continue using the old passenger facilities, which are closer to the adjoining subway stations at Seventh Avenue and Eighth Avenue . In
15794-532: The original station opened in 1910. Significant renovations were made to the LIRR areas over a three-year period ending in 1994, including the opening of the Central Corridor passageway and the addition of a new entry pavilion on 34th Street. The 34th Street entry pavilion measures 40 by 50 feet (12 by 15 m) across by 92 feet (28 m) tall and has a glass tower and two air-cooling shafts. The West End Concourse, west of Eighth Avenue, opened in 1986, and
15943-491: The original still exist in the space. It was renovated in the early 2000s in anticipation of Acela service and includes an enclosed waiting area for ticketed passengers with seats, outlets and Wi-Fi. The ticketed waiting room underwent a $ 7.2 million renovation from 2019 to 2020 that was funded jointly between Amtrak and NJ Transit. The renovation included new furniture and fixtures that feature seats with electrical and USB outlets, an upgraded ceiling with new LED lighting,
16092-401: The other while running between the stations. Multi-system M8 railcars equipped with third rail shoes and pantographs are used for electric service on the line. The New Canaan Branch also uses overhead catenary. The Danbury Branch was electrified, but became a diesel line in 1961. The Waterbury Branch, the only east-of-Hudson Metro-North service which has no direct service to Grand Central,
16241-523: The ownership of NYC in 1914. NYC's four-track Water Level Route paralleled the Hudson River, Erie Canal, and Great Lakes on a route from New York to Chicago via Albany. It was fast and popular due to the lack of any significant grades. The section between Grand Central and Peekskill, New York , the northernmost station in Westchester County , became known as the NYC's Hudson Division, with frequent commuter service in and out of Manhattan. Stations to
16390-483: The passenger railroad system totaling 385 miles (620 km) of route . It is the second busiest commuter railroad in North America in terms of annual ridership, behind the Long Island Rail Road and ahead of NJ Transit (both of which also serve New York City). As of 2018 , Metro-North's budgetary burden for expenditures was $ 1.3 billion, which it supports through the collection of taxes and fees. In 2023,
16539-495: The project unfunded. The agency redeveloping the building was being folded into the PANYNJ in the belief that it can better handle and oversee reconstruction as well as provide or secure money. When it was first proposed, Phase 2 was expected to cost up to $ 1.5 billion. In January 2016, New York governor Cuomo announced plans for a combined Penn-Farley Post Office complex, a project estimated to cost $ 3 billion. SOM announced in
16688-608: The project's scope, under which Madison Square Garden , which is directly atop Penn Station, would have been moved to the west flank of the Farley Building, allowing Vornado Realty to construct an office complex on the current Garden site. By 2009, the Garden's owner Cablevision had decided to renovate its current location instead of relocating the arena. That September, after months of negotiations involving Senator Chuck Schumer , New York governor David Paterson , and PANYNJ Executive Director Christopher O. Ward , Amtrak agreed to return as
16837-483: The railroad $ 1.3 million. Richard Ravitch, the MTA Chairman, asked President Reagan to seek legislation to place the dispute under the law of New York State. Even though Metro-North was a state agency, the workers remained under federal law because Conrail was a federal agency. Reagan had turned down a request by Governor Mario Cuomo to intervene, but indicated that he would listen if a congressionally approved proposal
16986-468: The railroad would have to cease operating passenger trains on the New Haven Line if nothing was done. A joint report from both agencies, released in September of that year, recommended that the line be leased to New York Central for 99 years, with the MCTA and CTA acting as agents for both states. In October, the MCTA found that the New Haven Line's stations and infrastructure were even more decrepit than those of
17135-432: The rest of the building is leased by Meta Platforms as office space. The 486,000 sq ft (45,200 m) complex was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). It consists of a 31,000 sq ft (2,900 m) passenger concourse underneath a 92 ft (28 m) tall glass skylight . A four-faced clock, measuring 12 feet (3.7 m) tall and more than 6 feet (1.8 m) across each of its sides,
17284-559: The retail space. The project would be constructed in conjunction with the Access to the Region's Core project, which would have expanded NJ Transit service under the Hudson River. The 14th Dalai Lama , a longtime friend of Moynihan, expressed support for Moynihan Station. The Farley Post Office building was sold to the New York state government in 2006 in the hope that Moynihan's vision would be realized. Support also grew for "Plan B", an expansion of
17433-424: The ride. While the fare policies of the east of Hudson and west of Hudson divisions are essentially the same, west of Hudson trains are operated by NJ Transit using its ticketing system. Tickets may be bought from a ticket office at stations, ticket vending machines (TVMs), online through the "WebTicket" program or through apps for iOS and Android devices, or on the train. Monthly tickets may be bought through
17582-482: The same time since January 1961. The UTU also went on strike against NJ Transit, which took over Conrail lines in New Jersey, and against SEPTA in Philadelphia. Two weeks into the strike, Metro-North President Peter Stangl estimated that it lost $ 80,000 a week due to the strike. The chairman of the MTA's finance committee, Stephen Berger, feared that Metro-North would lose 5% of its pre-strike ridership of 90,000–costing
17731-456: The southeast and northeast corners of the Farley Building. The concourse, which was constructed in 1994 as part of a renovation to the LIRR's section of Penn Station, provides access to the seventeen tracks served by Moynihan Train Hall. Its walls are decorated with depictions of New York City buildings and landscapes. The West End Concourse expansion, which was completed in 2017, was the first part of Moynihan Train Hall to be completed. Because of
17880-604: The speed dictated by the cab signal by a penalty brake application should the engineer fail to obey it. There are no intermediate wayside signals between interlockings: operation is solely by cab signal. Wayside signals remain at interlockings. These are a special type of signal, a go, a slow or a stop signal. They do not convey information about traffic in the blocks ahead – the cab signal conveys block information. Metro-North began upgrading its Operations Control Center in Grand Central Terminal in 2008. All control hardware
18029-538: The station on an average weekday, or up to 1,000 every ninety seconds. It is the busiest passenger transportation facility in the United States and in North America. Amtrak owns the station and uses it for the following services: All except the Acela, Northeast Regional and Vermonter originate and terminate at Penn Station. Amtrak normally uses tracks 5–12 alongside New Jersey Transit and shares tracks 13–16 with
18178-423: The station was expensive to maintain. A renovation covered some of the grand columns with plastic and blocked off the spacious central hallway with a new ticket office. The Pennsylvania Railroad optioned the air rights, which called for the demolition of the head house and train shed , to be replaced by an office complex and a new sports complex, while the tracks of the station would remain untouched. Plans for
18327-501: The station's 21 tracks. The hall is named after Daniel Patrick Moynihan , the U.S. senator who had originally championed the plan. The building's Beaux-Arts exterior resembles that of the original Penn Station ; both buildings were designed by the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White . The 486,000 sq ft (45,200 m) complex was built to alleviate congestion in Penn Station, which saw 650,000 daily riders before
18476-604: The station, while commuter rail services are operated by the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and NJ Transit (NJT). Connections are available within the complex to the New York City Subway and buses. Penn Station is named for the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), its builder and original owner, and shares its name with several stations in other cities. The original Pennsylvania Station was an ornate station building designed by McKim, Mead, and White and considered
18625-434: The system had a ridership of 60,569,700, or about 235,300 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. The MTA has jurisdiction, through Metro-North, over railroad lines on the western and eastern portions of the Hudson River in New York. Service on the western side of the Hudson is operated by NJ Transit under contract with the MTA. Additionally, connecting ferry service is operated by NY Waterway , also under contract with
18774-446: The takeover, Metro-North was created as a division of the MTA, with Peter Stangl as president. Once under the MTA's control, the agency planned to phase in capital improvements over the following five years. As part of the transition, the MTA needed to negotiate new labor contracts with the 17 unions representing 5,000 Conrail employees who would become MTA employees and had to negotiate the transfer of most of Conrail's assets. Much work
18923-484: The time, Conrail was being floated by the federal government as a private for-profit freight-only carrier. Even with state subsidies, the federal government did not want Conrail to take on the operating costs of the commuter lines, which it was relieved from by the Northeast Rail Service Act of 1981 . Thus, it became essential that state-owned agencies both operate and subsidize their commuter services. Over
19072-410: The train hall development, and had selected two anchor retail tenants by that October. Another plan was presented by James Carpenter Design Associates , in collaboration with HOK, in 2005. The Carpenter and HOK plan simplified the concourse into a single level and added numerous skylights, reminiscent of the original Penn Station. This plan would have involved turning part of the post office building into
19221-549: The train hall. At the time of the spur's announcement, it was estimated to cost $ 60 million, but was not funded. As of September 2021, the project was funded and was projected to be completed in early 2023. The Moynihan Connector opened on June 22, 2023. In May 2022, the project received the American Council of Engineering Companies ' Grand Conceptor Award, for the year's most outstanding engineering project. In June 2022, Open House New York conferred its 2022 Open City Award to
19370-574: The two single-track North River Tunnels were bored from the west under the Hudson River. A second set of four single-track tunnels, the East River Tunnels , were bored from the east under the East River , linking the new station to Queens , the PRR-owned Long Island Rail Road, and Sunnyside Yard in Queens, where trains would be maintained and assembled. Construction was completed on the Hudson River tunnels on October 9, 1906, and on
19519-404: The upper two levels and train platforms on the lowest. The two levels of concourses, while renovated and expanded during the construction of Madison Square Garden, are original to the 1910 station, as are the tracks and platforms. Over the following decades, various renovations attempted to add service and some concourse space. The West End Concourse under Eighth Avenue opened in 1986. In 1987,
19668-448: The way Penn Central was running its railroads. He said that the proportion of trains running on schedule had declined after Penn Central had inherited the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines in 1968. In 1976, Congress awarded the MTA "temporary" funding so the LIRR and Penn Central commuter routes could be handed over to local private operators. The bankrupt Penn Central's commuter routes were taken over by Conrail , an entity created by
19817-411: Was completed by the end of that year. An opening ceremony for the hall was held on December 30, 2020. Upon the completion of the project, New York governor Andrew Cuomo called it a "monumental accomplishment". The train hall opened to the public on January 1, 2021, two days after the opening ceremony. By early 2022, many of the shops in Moynihan Train Hall's food hall had opened. Within three years of
19966-514: Was completed in 2023, has freed up track and platform space at Penn Station by redirecting some LIRR trains from Penn Station to Grand Central Madison . This new capacity, as well as track connections resulting from the East Side Access project, will allow Metro-North trains on the New Haven Line to run to Penn Station via Amtrak's Hell Gate Bridge . Four new local Metro-North stations in
20115-462: Was controversial and caused outrage internationally. "One entered the city like a god. One scuttles in now like a rat," the architectural historian Vincent Scully famously wrote of the original station. The controversy over the demolition of such a well-known landmark, and its deplored replacement, is often cited as a catalyst for the architectural preservation movement in the United States. New laws were passed to restrict such demolition. Within
20264-451: Was expected to cost $ 488 million; the city government only offered $ 25 million, and New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani expressed concerns that the project could encounter cost overruns. Congress provided $ 60 million in additional funding later in 1999. U.S. senator Charles Schumer had unsuccessfully sponsored a bill that May, which would have formally named the facility "Daniel Patrick Moynihan Station", in honor of his colleague who
20413-456: Was funded jointly between Amtrak and NJ Transit. Renovations included new furniture and fixtures that feature seats with electrical and USB outlets, a new ceiling with new LED lighting, a new information desk, a second entrance in close proximity to the NJ Transit concourse that provides improved access towards the Seventh Avenue side of the Station, two new Passenger Information Display Systems boards that display NJ Transit departure information and
20562-558: Was issued. The strike lasted six weeks, and ended on April 18 when the two sides agreed to binding arbitration. The first major project undertaken by Metro-North was the extension of the third-rail electrification on the Harlem line from North White Plains to a new station at Brewster North (since renamed Southeast ). This was completed in 1984. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, all wayside signals that did not protect switches and interlockings north of Grand Central were removed and replaced by modern cab signaling . In October 1998,
20711-617: Was needed in reorganization, as significant business success would not appear for at least two decades, following the faltering railroad industry in the 1970s. Conrail and later Metro-North had decided to trim whatever services they felt were unnecessary. A significant portion of the old New York Central Central Harlem line between Millerton and Chatham , New York was abandoned by Conrail, leaving northeastern Dutchess and Columbia counties with no rail transportation. Most commuter lines were kept in service although they were in much need of repair. On March 7, 1983, after labor negotiations between
20860-467: Was permanently closed off with concrete Jersey barriers . Escalators providing direct access to the lobby of Madison Square Garden were closed and later removed. The underground Gimbels Passageway connecting pedestrians to 34th Street–Herald Square has been sealed off since 1986, after decades of safety concerns and sexual assaults. Despite the modest renovations, the underground Penn Station continued to be criticized as "reviled", "dysfunctional", and
21009-403: Was placed over the tracks and platforms to allow rail service to continue during construction. Photographs of the day showed passengers waiting for trains even as the head house was demolished around them. This was possible because most of the rail infrastructure (including the waiting room, concourses, and boarding platforms) was below street level. The demolition of the Penn Station head house
21158-551: Was projected to meet that schedule as late as one month before that deadline. However, the opening was delayed because the New York state government decided to upgrade digital information boards and other technology in the concourse just before it was completed. The West End Concourse finally opened in June 2017. Phase 2 consists of the new train hall in the fully renovated Farley Building. In December 2011, Amtrak said that it would likely be unable to afford increased operating costs if it should re-locate. The unsuccessful application left
21307-443: Was renovated to add the 34th Street LIRR entrance and central corridor, along with artwork and improved waiting and concession areas. The new entrance consisted of a 90-foot-tall (27 m) structure with a glass and brick facade, a clock salvaged from the original station, and air-conditioning units for the terminal. In 2002, the NJ Transit concourse was created in space previously occupied by retail and Amtrak office space, although
21456-872: Was replaced and software upgrades were performed. The new OCC at Grand Central opened over the weekend of July 18, 2010. Most of the rolling stock on west-of-Hudson lines consists of Metro-North owned and marked Comet V cars, although occasionally other NJ Transit (NJT) cars are used as the two railroads pool equipment. The trains are also usually handled by EMD GP40FH-2 , GP40PH-2 , F40PH-3C , Alstom PL42AC , or Bombardier ALP-45DP locomotives, although any Metro-North or NJ Transit diesel can show up. Metro-North owned and marked equipment operated by NJ Transit can also be seen on other NJ Transit lines. The Metro-North Railroad uses an electric fleet of M3A , M7A , and M8 electric multiple units . Multiple diesel locomotives and push-pull coaches are in use as well. Although Metro-North uses many abbreviations (MNCR, MNR, MN, etc.)
21605-506: Was retiring. By February 2000, the budget had increased to $ 788 million, of which $ 188 million would be required for upgrades to existing infrastructure. At the time, construction was expected to start later the same year. In early 2001, the Staubach Company and Fraport were selected to develop the Farley train hall as a joint venture ; the start of construction had been pushed back yet again to late 2001. The USPS had pledged
21754-521: Was transferred to Conrail in 1976, when it absorbed most of Penn Central's railroad functions after Penn Central's bankruptcy. The system took its current form in 1983, when the MTA took over direct operation of Conrail's commuter services in the northern portion of the Tri-State Area and formed Metro-North to run them. There are 124 stations on Metro-North Railroad's five active lines, which operate on more than 787 miles (1,267 km) of track, with
21903-637: Was under the control of the New York Central Railroad (NYC). The NYC initially operated three commuter lines, two of which ran into Grand Central Depot (now Grand Central Terminal ). Metro-North's Harlem Line was initially a combination of trackage from the New York and Harlem Railroad and the Boston and Albany Railroad , running from Manhattan to Chatham, New York in Columbia County . At Chatham, passengers could transfer to long-distance trains on
22052-504: Was used to fund design work, and the additional $ 40 million was used to buy supplies and renovate existing facilities. The Empire State Development Corporation , an agency of the New York state government, created the Pennsylvania Station Redevelopment Corporation in 1995 to oversee the purchase and renovation of the building. The corporation, led by a bipartisan group of New York state government officials, initially had $ 300,000, but raised $ 670 million within ten years. Officials of
22201-405: Was widened and lengthened to cover tracks 5 through 21 in 2017. The NJ Transit concourse near Seventh Avenue opened in 2002 out of existing retail and Amtrak office space. A new street-level entrance to this concourse at the corner of 31st Street and Seventh Avenue opened in September 2009. Previously, NJ Transit used space in the Amtrak concourse. In December 2017, Amtrak and Zyter released
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