Amtrak Metro-North Penn Station Access Project

Metro-North Railroad, owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), explored possible additions to its rail lines traveling into Penn Station in New York City. Overcrowding, track outages, and delayed transit times strained the system and passengers for more than two decades.

In coordination with the current rail operators at Penn Station, the Metro-North Penn Station Access Project was approved to link Metro-North stations from East Bronx, Westchester County, and Connecticut to Penn Station using Amtrak’s Hell Gate Line. This new rail access line will connect Manhattan’s west side for commuters who typically arrive at Grand Central Terminal. The project is scheduled to complement Grand Central Madison, which opened as part of the East Side Access project in 2023.

Our team is providing technical review and construction support services as Amtrak’s owner’s representative. Using a design-build delivery method, the project will commence in two phases. Phase one includes Hell Gate Line upgrades, such as adding new tracks, four new stations in the Bronx, and routing select New Haven Line trains to Penn Station. Phase two will add two more stations along Manhattan’s West Side, served by the Hudson Line.

The Penn Station Access project includes:

• Relocating, reconfiguring, and adding new interlockings.
• Realigning and installing new catenaries.
• Constructing four new ADA-compliant stations.
• Replacing and repairing under-grade bridges.
• Upgrading existing alternating current (AC) substations and constructing new AC substations.
• Installing three miles of third rail and two new direct current substations.
• Replacing Amtrak’s signal and communications systems from Harold Interlocking (milepost 4.4) to Manor Interlocking (milepost 18.2).

The project will turn a portion of the existing two-track railroad into a four-track railroad with over 19 miles of new and rehabilitated track work. The project also includes:

• Four bridge rehabilitations.
• Four new interlockings and two to-be reconfigured interlockings.
• Two new alternating current substations and three upgraded units.
• Two new direct current substations.
• Modernization of signal, power, and communication infrastructure.

The direct link to Penn Station will provide passengers with easy connections to New Jersey Transit, Long Island Railroad, Port Authority Trans-Hudson, Amtrak, and New York City subways. The new rail service will also expand access to other transportation modes, including ferries and airports. The additional options will streamline passenger travel throughout the Northeast and MidAtlantic U.S.