Railworks in collaboration with Halmar International has been selected to design and construct the Penn Station Access Project by The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York. The US$2.9 billion project, which is slated to be completed in the next five years, will feature about 30.5 kilometers of new and rehabilitated track that will be placed to form a primarily four-track line rather than the present two-track system. Four additional completely accessible stations will be built in the East Bronx at Co-Op City, Morris Park, Parkchester/Van Nest, and Hunts Point, as well as four bridges. Almost 250,000 people and more than 100,000 jobs are within a half-mile of the four stations, which will operate at a 20-minute frequency during peak hours.
Also Read: $30m secured to begin Phase I of the Arvene East project in New York
In addition, Metro-New North’s Rochelle Yard will be renovated, and four new and one redesigned interlockings, as well as five new and two enhanced substations, will be installed. The infrastructure for signaling, power, and communication will also be updated. Services will run on Amtrak’s current Hell Gate Line, which will be renovated, enhancing intercity dependability and preparing the corridor for future high-speed operation. Amtrak has pledged to invest $US500 million to the project and to pay the expenses of any delays if it fails to satisfy pledges to provide outages or staff.
“This project alone is a significant step forward for environmental justice, environmentally sustainable transportation, the Bronx economy, and regional interconnectivity, and yet another example of our ongoing efforts to ensure that all New Yorkers have the modernized transportation systems they deserve,” says New York Governor Kathy Hochul. “Transportation concerns in my area influence the daily lives of my residents,” said Jamaal Bowman, the congressman for New York’s 16th congressional district. The Penn Station Access Project is vital, as is the extension of Metro-North train lines in the Bronx and Westchester, especially at New Rochelle Yard.
