Amtrak Wraps Up Summer Construction Work At Penn Station

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Train schedules at Penn Station will return to normal when Amtrak finishes its summer infrastructure work on Tuesday, transit officials said.

Amtrak — which operates Penn Station — spent $30 million to compeletely replace sections of the ""JO railroad interlocking" system that directs Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road and NJ TRANSIT trains from Penn Station to the East River Tunnels, Amtrak executives announced. Modified service for the LIRR and many Amtrak routes were in effect during the construction work.

"We’re proud to announce and celebrate another successful round of renewal work at New York Penn Station, which signifies our commitment to investments in infrastructure and safety," Amtrak President and CEO Richard Anderson said in a statement.

Work done over the summer included completely replacing track switches on Penn Station's 14th, 15th and 16th tracks, and replacing all equipment such as signaling systems that interact with the tracks. Workers also replaced third rail and power cables on the tracks, installed new LED lighting and repainted station platforms, Amtrak officials said. The project was completed by its projected Sept. 2 deadline, Amtrak officials said.

Disruptive infrastructure work has been a staple at Penn Station in the past few years, starting with 2017's "Summer of Hell" for New York City-area commuters. Penn Station is the busiest transit hub in the United States with 600,000 Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit commuters passing through the station each day.