MTA, Amtrak joint Penn Station Access project delayed for 3rd time
The accessible stations are slated to be offered at Hunts Point, Morris Park, Co-op City and Parkchester/Van Nest - a welcome change to underserved residents in the area.
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The MTA and Amtrak's joint $3.1 billion Penn Station Access project has been delayed for the third time.
In its inception in 2022, the project aims to create an extension of Metro-North Railroad‘s New Haven Line to reach Penn Station, create four new ADA-accessible stations throughout the Bronx, improve existing tracks and bridges and cut travel times from the Bronx to Manhattan by 50 minutes.
The accessible stations are slated to be offered at Hunts Point, Morris Park, Co-op City and Parkchester/Van Nest - a welcome change to underserved residents in the area.
"[I'm] excited about this project," says resident Steven Gong. "Anything that helps expedite travel to Manhattan; I think it's a good thig for the community."
It was announced earlier this month that the project would be delayed until 2028 — much to the dismay of city leaders like Rep. George Latimer, who announced that he is "pushing Amtrak for answers."
Co-Op City residents, like Jamal, are also frustrated, citing the ongoing project's construction is impacting his way of life.
"I hate it," says Jamal. "The area that they're doing it in my neighborhood in taking up all the parking. We can't park."
The MTA tells News 12 that it has "had some challenges with Amtrak" due to delays in the construction timetable but will continue "to improve the project schedule" alongside "Amtrak and the design/build contractor responsible for delivering the project."
Amtrak tells News 12 that it shares "the concern about the delays" and has planned interventions, such as "implementing Amtrak work crews, providing additional track outages and performing a significant amount of work associated with the overhead catenary system."
