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Big news: yesterday, Amtrak and the Trump administration jointly approved a plan for a massive Penn Station rebuild without relocating Madison Square Garden, despite Trump previously signaling he'd be open to it.
The two parties announced the selection of Penn Transformation Partners, a dedicated developing team that is going to lead the massive revamping of the transportation hub.
According to an official press release, the plan involves a grand new entrance on Eighth Avenue leading to a new train hall (perhaps one more akin to the beauty of Grand Central), new concourses replacing the current cramped walkways, increased track capacity—including the introduction of at least limited through-running on the regional rail network—passenger experience upgrades and an improved subterranean structure.
Madison Square Garden is also going to be renovated: expect a new glass entrance and an upgraded exterior.
“We took over the transformation of New York Penn Station because the project was behind schedule, over budget and hopelessly mismanaged. One year later, we continue to hit major milestones at record speed,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy in an official statement announcing the news. “In selecting Penn Transformation Partners and their innovative plan, we are one step closer to delivering a world-class travel hub that daily commuters and travelers have dreamed of for decades.”
What's perhaps most shocking is the timeline that was just made public: according to officials, groundbreaking is expected to begin before the end of 2027, which feels surprisingly soon given the scale of the project. There's no word yet on when construction is expected to wrap or how much the project will cost as a whole.
Considering how much of a headache (and, let's be honest, a less-than-inspiring gateway to the city) Penn Station has always been, and how long we've been hearing about a massive upgrade, this announcement is particularly exciting. A fitting way to head into Memorial Day weekend.