Trump, Cuomo To Meet About Crumbling Train Tunnels

NEW YORK — Gov. Andrew Cuomo is set to discuss one of New York City's most critical infrastructure projects with President Donald Trump this week. Cuomo said he, Trump and U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao are scheduled to meet Wednesday in Washington about the Gateway Tunnels, the crumbling rail corridor linking the city to New Jersey.

Cuomo, a Democrat, said he plans to press the president to clear the way for the multibillion-dollar project, which he said is vital to the country's entire Northeast region.

"If the tunnel becomes dangerous you affect the entire Northeast, you affect New York City, you affect New Jersey, and this should just be one of the things that government finds a way to do despite the toxic, political atmosphere," Cuomo said on WNYC's "The Brian Lehrer Show."

Under President Barack Obama, the federal government agreed to split the cost of rebuilding the tunnels with the states of New York and New Jersey. But the Trump administration reportedly reneged on that deal, putting the project's future in question.

The tunnels carry Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains under the Hudson River. Building a new tunnel and replacing the existing tunnels is expected to cost $12.9 billion, according to an environmental impact statement published last year.

Cuomo sent the White House a video last month showing the decay inside the century-old tunnels. The governor said the video had a "simple but impactful effect" on Trump, his fellow New Yorker and frequent rhetorical punching bag. But the state still needs the president's administration to move forward with the project, Cuomo said.

"Sometimes there's just a right thing to do," Cuomo said. "And we have two tunnels that — we are really on the brink of a very bad situation."

A White House spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Lead image: Gov. Andrew Cuomo is seen at a press conference in November 2018. Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)