Penn Station’s $7 billion renovation will kick off in 2027, with new amenities, retailers and more

Cue the construction dust. After decades of false starts, broken promises and countless commuter groans, Penn Station’s long-awaited glow-up is finally happening. Federal officials announced that work on a $7 billion overhaul of America’s busiest rail hub will begin by the end of 2027—yes, really this time.

The plan calls for replacing the dingy underground maze we all know (and avoid when possible) with a 250,000-square-foot single-level facility boasting brighter concourses, actual amenities, new retailers, and even mixed-income housing built above. Think less “labyrinth of despair under Madison Square Garden” and more “gateway worthy of New York.” (Penn 2.0 already kicked off with Moynihan Train Hall, a $1.6 billion renovation that restored the across-from-Penn landmark Farley Building and added a central atrium with a glass roof, as well as retail space, public restrooms and 320-seat waiting area for ticket-holding passengers.)

The overall reno is a tall order for a station that currently welcomes more than 650,000 riders daily, most of whom are greeted with low ceilings, confusing corridors and not nearly enough coffee stands.

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Amtrak, now firmly in charge after the Trump administration wrested control from the MTA, is leading the charge with a $43 million federal grant to kick-start permitting, design and the hunt for a master developer. Enter Andy Byford, the beloved former NYC Transit boss affectionately dubbed “Train Daddy,” who’s back in the mix as special adviser. His first order of business? Find a developer by May 2026 who can actually deliver a project of this size on budget (insert knowing laughter here).

Of course, this is Penn Station, so not everyone’s convinced it’ll be smooth riding. Construction will mean disruptions, reroutes and plenty of new signage to squint at. And while officials are promising “minimal disruption,” New Yorkers know better: Expect at least a few mornings of sprinting for the 7:43 only to find it mysteriously vanishing from the board. Still, if it means trading crumbling walls and dingy hallways for light-filled concourses and shops you might actually want to browse in, maybe it’s worth the wait.

Until then, brace yourself for two more years of the same old Penn: bleak, crowded and reliably grim. But come 2027, when the first jackhammers start pounding, you’ll finally be able to say: “Good riddance—this dump is getting the facelift it always deserved.”