Trump 'Receptive' To Fixing Collapsing Train Tunnels, Cuomo Says

NEW YORK — President Donald Trump is "receptive" to repairing a vital train corridor linking New York City to New Jersey but did not commit any federal money to the project at a Wednesday meeting, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.

Cuomo, a Democrat, discussed the crumbling Gateway Tunnels beneath the Hudson River at the White House with Trump, his Chief of Staff John Kelly and U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

The Republican president — who's one of Cuomo's favorite political targets — grasped the tunnels' decrepit state and the importance of fixing them, but was concerned about the massive project becoming a "boondoggle," the governor said.

"He knows the impact of this situation and the consequences of this situation," Cuomo told reporters. "Now, his concerns as discussed at the meeting were, how do we do it so it doesn’t become a governmental boondoggle, so it’s not another government project that takes a long time and winds up being very expensive."

The existing Gateway Tunnel, comprising two separate tubes, is more than a century old and sustained heavy damage from Superstorm Sandy. Losing even just one of the tunnels could have a "devastating" economic impact, as trains traveling to the entire Northeast U.S. go through the corridor, Cuomo said.

The Obama administration agreed to split the cost of the tunnel project — currently estimated to be nearly $13 billion — with the states of New York and New Jersey. But the project was thrown into limbo after the Trump administration reportedly tossed that deal late last year.

Asked if Trump agreed to such a funding scheme, Cuomo said, "We did not get to that point." Moreover, the governor said he's not comfortable ponying up New York's 25 percent share based on the existing cost estimates from Amtrak.

"We did not agree to funding because we agreed we’re not sure what the funding amount is," he said. "... Depending on the number, I’m not going to sign a check until I know the number in the box on the check."

The next step is for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and the U.S. Department of Transportation to figure out how to start a bidding process and determine the "ultimate financial exposure, Cuomo said. He proposed setting up a corporation run by appointees from New York, New Jersey and the federal government to "manage the entire process."

The White House reportedly released a statement saying Trump "cares deeply for his home state of New York and always appreciates the opportunity to engage with the Governor on issues important to the state and region."

The two Queens natives are far from politically friendly. Cuomo cast himself as the leader of the state's fight against the Trump administration in his successful re-election campaign this year. Trump has taunted the governor, reportedly suggesting this summer that Cuomo would suffer if he challenged him in a presidential election.

But the president told the New York Post that he nonetheless has a "good relationship" with Cuomo. "I like him. He likes me," Trump told the paper Wednesday.

Cuomo said fixing the Gateway Tunnels is too important to let "political differences" get in the way. But the project won't get done if Trump refuses to help, he said.

"We could never afford it. Not even close," he said. "It is an impossibility."

(Lead image: President Donald Trump answers questions while leaving the White House on Nov. 26, 2018. Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)