U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and the Amtrak board announced the selection of Penn Transformation Partners (Halmar and Skanska) as the private Master Developer team to lead the transformation of New York Penn Station.

Penn Transformation Partners will build a brand-new station that will provide daily commuters and tourists with a more seamless travel experience through a vibrant gateway into America’s largest city, said Amtrak.

The transformation of New York Penn Station will:

• Construct a grand entrance on Eighth Avenue to a new train hall.
• Replace cramped, decrepit walkways with open, beautiful concourses.
• Expand track capacity, including the introduction of at least limited through-running on the regional rail network.
• Enable new retail, better wayfinding, and other passenger-experience improvements, all while maintaining the iconic Madison Square Garden with a new cladding that preserves its classical look.
• Improve the station’s existing subterranean structure.

“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.  Secretary Duffy. “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. 2027 can’t come soon enough.”

The Result of a Competitive Bid

Special Advisor Andy Byford oversaw a competitive procurement process and analysis amongst bidders who were assessed on their ability to:

• Develop the best value proposal that aligns with the project’s goals to renovate and modernize the station.
• Leverage the taxpayer investment in a new station to develop potential new revenue streams for Amtrak.
• Increase concourse capacity and access.
• Enable safer and more efficient operations.
• Accommodate passenger service growth.
• Deliver a world-class experience for users.

“Everyone at Amtrak is thrilled to announce Penn Transformation Partners and even more excited that the project is one step closer to having shovels in the ground next year,” said Byford. “The rapid completion of a rigorous procurement process represents more than just delivering on a highly ambitious milestone; it demonstrates that Amtrak and USDOT are uniquely capable of making this vision a reality.”

Secretary Duffy and Federal Railroad Administrator (FRA) David Fink also announced $200 million in additional funding for the New York Penn Station Transformation project through the Partnership-Northeast Corridor Program.

“FRA is investing $200 million to support critical design and permitting work on the New York Penn Transformation. The new station will be an architectural icon that fuels further development in the Nation’s financial capital while accommodating more passengers during critical rush periods,” said Fink.

With Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT contributing additional funding to the project development work, Byford and Penn Transformation Partners have the resources necessary to prepare for groundbreaking before the end of 2027, said officials.

What’s Next?

Now that the Amtrak board has authorized the next step in the New York Penn Transformation project, the project now turns to the next stages of work: finalizing contract negotiations, working toward permits, completing the FRA-led Service Optimization Study (SOS), advancing design, and achieving financial and commercial close before getting shovels in the ground by the end of 2027.

The modern historical preservation movement was, in large part, jump-started by the decision to build the current iteration of New York Penn Station, which replaced the previous classical structure.

The new design takes inspiration from this lost architectural gem while fitting with the major structures there currently, particularly Madison Square Garden and Moynihan Train Hall.