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Penn Station has been called a lot of things over the years—crowded, confusing, soul-crushing. But "Trump Station"? That's the latest name being floated and it's stirring up plenty of debate before a single construction crane has even arrived.
This week, the Trump administration asked Congress to approve funding for Penn Station's massive $8 billion overhaul and tucked into that request was a suggestion that the station should be renamed. The proposal stopped short of specifying a new name, but Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has previously joked that "Trump Station" has "a nice ring to it."
Before you start updating your commute, though, nothing has actually changed.
The idea surfaced in a letter Duffy sent to U.S. senators seeking approval for federal transportation funding. While the letter calls for Penn Station to be renamed as part of its redevelopment, it doesn't say what the replacement name would be and no formal renaming process has been announced.
President Donald Trump has also publicly distanced himself from originating the proposal. Earlier this year, he said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had suggested renaming the station during discussions about federal funding for the Gateway Program, the long-awaited rail tunnel project connecting New Jersey and Manhattan. Trump later argued that "Pennsylvania Station" is an odd name for one of New York City's biggest landmarks because it references another state. (The station was originally named for the Pennsylvania Railroad, the company that built it.)
The original Pennsylvania Station opened in 1910 as one of the country's great Beaux-Arts landmarks before its demolition in 1963 made way for Madison Square Garden. Its destruction became one of New York's defining preservation battles and today's underground station has spent decades drawing criticism for its cramped passageways and dim interiors.
Ironically, the proposed redesign looks backward rather than forward. Renderings unveiled earlier this year show a grand new station inspired by the original Penn, complete with towering columns, soaring ceilings and significantly more natural light. One rendering also includes President Trump's name and presidential seal on an interior wall, although the exterior signage still reads "Pennsylvania Station."
The overhaul would unfold over roughly six years, beginning in late 2027, while trains continue to run. More than 600,000 passengers pass through Penn Station on a typical weekday, making it the busiest rail hub in the Western Hemisphere.
Representative Jerry Nadler called the name-change idea a "ridiculous proposal" and accused the administration of turning the redevelopment into a "Trump vanity project." Transit advocacy group Riders Alliance argued the focus should remain on improving service rather than branding, saying riders care more about faster, more reliable commutes than whatever appears on the station's sign.
For now, that's exactly where things stand: Penn Station is still Penn Station. The redesign is moving ahead, Congress still needs to approve funding and any official name change would require additional action before New Yorkers hear conductors announcing arrivals at anything other than the station they've been grumbling about for generations.