Penn Station Access

Details

Location
Bronx, Connecticut, Manhattan, Westchester County
Type
System Expansion
Status
Construction

Area Map

Map showing the stations and other elements being built in the Bronx and around the NYC metro area as a part of Penn Station Access.

Timeline

Planning

May 2021: Environmental Assessment released for public review
September 2021: FTA issued Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

Construction

December 2021: Design-build contract awarded to Halmar International, LLC/RailWorks, J.V.
January 2022: Notice to proceed issued
February 2022: Site surveys and advanced design are underway
December 2022: Groundbreaking for Penn Station Access takes place in the Bronx

About the project

Penn Station Access will not only provide new rail service for New Yorkers living and working in the East Bronx to Penn Station, but it will also create a direct Metro North connection from Manhattan’s West side to the Bronx, Westchester, and Connecticut via four new ADA-accessible stations located at Hunts Point, Morris Park, Co-op City, and Parkchester/Van Nest. In order to support new rail service, the project includes a scope of work necessary to bring Amtrak’s existing Hell Gate Line into a state of good repair, which includes four bridge rehabilitations, reconfigured interlockings, and the modernization of signal, power, and communication equipment.

As construction progresses, the MTA will hold public meetings to give community members advance notice of key construction phases and milestones.

Penn Station Access broke ground in December 2022, and the project is estimated to be complete by 2027.

Project benefits

Four new ADA-accessible stations at Hunts Point, Morris Park, Co-op City, and Parkchester/Van Nest
A one-seat ride between Penn Station and the East Bronx, Westchester, and Connecticut
Significant reduction in commutes between the Bronx to Manhattan

Newly generated economic growth in and around the East Bronx
A second Metro-North route into Manhattan and another terminal for the railroad
19 miles of new and rehabilitated track along Amtrak’s Hell Gate Line, which will improve reliability and on-time service for Amtrak customers
Less traffic and air pollution

Construction updates

We are coordinating closely with Amtrak and CSX on right-of-way access to advance the Penn Station Access project.

From March 2023 through September 2023, Amtrak provided a long-term single-track outage. Longer-term outages can significantly improve construction efficiency, productivity, and safety by giving the Design-Builder larger windows to complete critical work along the tracks.

MTA coordinated with Amtrak on a second single-track long-term outage from May 2024 through July 2024 to commission Leggett Interlocking, a critical project component that will provide operational flexibility for the duration of the project.

Sidewalk, traffic, and parking updates

A rendering of the new Penn Station Access station in Parkchester

Newsletters

Latest news

In November 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the project received $1.64 billion under FRA Bipartisan Infrastructure Law grants.
On December 9, 2022, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the groundbreaking for the Metro-North Penn Station Access project alongside leaders from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority during a ceremony in the Bronx.
On December 29, 2021, the MTA Board awarded a third-party design-build contract for the project to Halmar International, LLC/RailWorks, J.V. Read a letter from Sen. Chuck Schumer and other elected officials regarding this approval.
In September 2021, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for Penn Station Access. The FRA issued a FONSI on November 16, 2021, concluding the environmental review for the project.