Hell Gate Train From Hudson Valley To Penn Station Gets $1.6B Boost

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Metro-North train service to Penn Station just got a massive cash infusion from the feds.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer and U.S Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced on Sunday that the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is awarding $1.6 billion for the Penn Station Access project.

Schumer said that the Bipartisan Infrastructure & Jobs Law made tens of billions of dollars of investment in transit funding for New York, including for Amtrak. This funding is supporting most of the Penn Station Access project.

"Transit development equals community development, and now $1.6 billion is on the way to accelerate Penn Station Access," Schumer said in a statement. "That means shorter travel times for our Westchester commuters, four new stations here in the Bronx, and more equitable transit for all New Yorkers. For far too long, the East and South Bronx has been a transit desert, and communities from New Rochelle to Port Chester have had to go to extra lengths to get to work every day. That’s why I have fought so hard to advance this vital project by bringing together Amtrak and the MTA to negotiate the details of their partnership, and by delivering tens of billions of dollars via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law."

The federal funds will go towards the final design and construction of the project which will:

• Significantly reduce travel time and commute time daily. East Bronx passengers traveling to Penn Station will save up to 50 minutes, and those traveling to Connecticut will save up to 75 minutes.
• Create a one-seat ride between Penn Station and the East Bronx and Westchester Sound Shore communities like New Rochelle, Larchmont, Mamaroneck, Rye, Port Chester and Harrison. New Haven Line commuters will no longer have to make their way to the West Side after arriving at Grand Central Terminal.
• Rehabilitate 19 miles of aging rail track along Amtrak’s Hell Gate Line, which will improve reliability and support faster service. The line will be expanded from two tracks to four in the East Bronx and Westchester.
• Create four new Metro-North rail stations in the Bronx at Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park, and Co-op City.

In addition, the Pelham Bay Bridge replacement project, which is considered crucial for the Penn Access project, will separately receive a $58 million award. This funding will help support the final design to replace the existing 115-year old two-track, movable bridge, with a new two-track bridge, which will support 70-mph speeds (an increase from 45 mph), reduce bridge openings by 70 percent, and improve reliability.

SEE ALSO:

• Planned 'Hell Gate' Metro-North Line Finally Breaks Ground
• New Metro North Route To Penn Station Is Full Steam Ahead
• Hell Gate Line Project Gets A Green Light From Feds
• $2.9B Contract Awarded For Penn Station Access
• A Glimpse Of The Future Of Penn Station Is Revealed

"These are transformational infrastructure projects that will improve safety, quality of life and economic opportunity for countless New Yorkers and in particular, for residents of the East Bronx," Gillibrand said. "Most importantly they will help save New Yorkers’ most precious resources: time. I am grateful to President Biden for prioritizing New York infrastructure projects and I’m excited to see the extraordinary impact that these projects will have for New York families."

Schumer and Gillibrand said that the Penn Access announcement is part of a greater infrastructure moment in New York, including Gateway, East Side Access, East River Tunnels, and the Second Avenue Subway expansion.