Amtrak continues next phase of Penn Station infrastructure work

Amtrak is announcing a series of track renewal projects in New York Penn Station as part of the Infrastructure Renewal program. While the bulk of the renewal work for 2018 will occur on weekends, there will be a series of continuous single-track closures within the Station from January 5, 2018 through May 28, 2018, which will require minor modifications to Amtrak and commuter train weekday operations at New York Penn Station. Amtrak is working with NJ TRANSIT and Long Island Rail Road on an overall service plan that minimizes the impact to all New York Penn Station customers to the greatest extent possible.

“After a successful summer, it is essential that we continue to upgrade the infrastructure so that we can continue to improve the reliability of service for all the customers that use New York Penn Station,” said Amtrak co-CEO Wick Moorman.

The projects will occur in the area of Track 15, which requires a section of concrete demolition and replacement (similar to the work on Track 10 during the summer of 2017), and Track 18, which requires localized concrete demolition with complex steel hardware replacement and rail renewal within Penn Station New York. In addition to this work, Amtrak will renew and replace three turnouts in “C” Interlocking, which is at the east end of the station and directs Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road trains to routes heading east and to Sunnyside Yard.

While Amtrak has maintained and repaired this aging infrastructure, some of which dates to the 1970s, full replacement is now required. During the summer of 2017, Amtrak kicked off its Infrastructure Renewal at New York Penn Station, which is one element of Amtrak’s plan to modernize stations, infrastructure, and equipment on the Northeast Corridor. Amtrak’s Penn Station concourse operations improvement study has begun and improvement projects for the restrooms, waiting areas, and ClubAcela Lounge in Amtrak’s concourses are underway.