Transportation Secretary Takes Control of Penn Station Overhaul From New York

Future, Amtrak, supported by the transportation sector, will lead the reconstruction project.

Transport Secretary Sean Duffy announced on April 17 that he will assume authority over the Pennsylvania “Pen” Station Reconstruction Project in New York City.

In a news release Thursday, Duffy said through the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) that he would withdraw New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Agency (MTA) from leading projects in the city.

As they move forward, Amtrak, supported by the transport department, will lead the reconstruction project.

Amtrak, also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, owns New York’s major urban rail hub, the busiest transportation facility in the Western Hemisphere.

The station serves more than 10 million Amtrak riders each year, the transportation department said.

Duffy’s move includes “rescue and cuts” of approximately $120 million in Amtrak’s federal grant from the FRA. He said small contracts are efforts to save taxpayers’ dollars.

“New York City deserves a safe and clean Penn station, reflecting America’s greatness. The history of MTA’s inefficiency, waste and mismanagement meant a new approach was needed,” Duffy wrote in a statement. “By putting taxpayers first, we ensure that every dollar is spent wisely creating a transportation hub that all Americans can be proud of.”

The Trump administration will advance Penn Station’s “public-private partnership model” to cut costs.

FRA Chief Counsel Kylefields said Duffy’s move would be to “restore accountability for infrastructure projects.”

“By empowering Amtrak and leveraging private investment, we are ensuring a Penn Station that is safer, more reliable and built to serve the American people for generations,” he wrote in a statement.

Democrat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said he has held multiple meetings with President Donald Trump to demand that the federal government fund a “long-term overhaul of Penn Station.”

“It is clear that the effort was successful and I would like to thank President Duffy and his secretary for taking the sole responsibility of providing the beautiful new $7 billion station that New Yorkers deserve,” she wrote in a statement.

“This is a huge victory for New Yorkers, and the use of federal funds would save the $1.3 billion New York taxpayers needed for this project.”

Fields wrote to Metropolitan Transport on Thursday to inform the FRA that it had withdrawn its $72 million federal partnership program grant awarded in November 2024.

“FRA’s mission to enable safe, reliable and efficient movement of powerful American people and products today and the future includes modernizing and expanding the country’s rail system,” writes Fields.

“In implementing its mission, the FRA is committed to ensuring that rail development projects, including those proposed for Penn Station New York, further ensuring the goal of achieving modern and efficient passenger rail services for the communities it serves.”