State officials joined leaders from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to celebrate the commencement of construction on the Metro-North Penn Station Access Project in The Bronx. The project will extend Metro-North rail lines to four new stations in the borough, the largest expansion of the line since 1983.
The new stations will be in Hunts Point, Parkchester/Van Nest, Morris Park, and Co-Op City. All of the stations will be designed to maximize accessibility in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $3.18 billion.
“We are bringing modern, safe, and reliable public transportation to East Bronx communities and with it, more economic opportunity for New Yorkers,” said Governor Kathy Hochul. “In partnership with Senator Schumer, Representatives Torres, Ocasio-Cortez, and Bowman, and Amtrak, Penn Station Access will not only drastically reduce commute times, but it will also help connect hundreds of thousands of residents and boost local economies.”
Rendering of the new Morris Park Metro-North Station in The Bronx
Rendering of the new Hunts Point Metro-North Station in The Bronx
Rendering of the new Parkchester-Van Nest Metro-North Station in The Bronx
Rendering of the new Co-op City Metro-North Station in The Bronx
The four new stations will serve as an extension of the New Haven Line from the New Rochelle Station. The expansion will use Amtrak’s Hell Gate Line to access Penn Station, optimizing existing infrastructure and minimizing the construction impact on surrounding communities. The infrastructure improvements along the Hell Gate Line will also improve service reliability and on-time performance for Amtrak, which is contributing $500 million toward the project.
When complete, East Bronx passengers traveling to Penn Station will save up to 50 minutes each way, and commuters traveling to Connecticut will save up to 75 minutes.
“For far too long, the East and South Bronx has been a transit desert,” said Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer. “That’s why I have fought so hard to advance this vital project—first, by bringing together Amtrak and the MTA to hash out the details of their partnership, and second, by delivering tens of billions of dollars via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that will pay for four new Metro-North stations in the East and South Bronx.”
Governor Hochul announces the commencement of construction for the Metro-North Penn Station Access Project
Governor Hochul joins the MTA and local officials to celebrate the beginning of construction for the Metro-North Penn Station Access Project
In addition to four new stations, the project will upgrade most of the existing two-track lines into a four-track railroad. This expansion will provide service flexibility to support the increase in Metro-North and Amtrak trains expected to operate through the area and allow for workarounds in the event of a service disruption.
The scope of work also includes the rehabilitation of more than 19 miles of railroad and repairs to the Bronx River, Eastchester Road, Bronxdale Avenue, and Pelham Lane bridges.
“Transit development equals community development, and as we continue to rebuild our economy coming out of the pandemic, we must do everything we can to make sure it is an equitable recovery through projects like Penn Station Access,” Senator Schumer said.
Construction of the passenger rail stations is expected to begin in 2024. The anticipated completion date for the Penn Station Access Project is 2027.
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Formerly, this rail line did provide passenger service with stops in the Bronx until 1931. I recall the closed entrances to one at Eastchester Road by the medical facility where I worked. There is a question of whether people will be willing to pay several times the subway fare to use the train as is typical with the LIRR in Queens.
Not sure why people just don’t use the subway.
So it will end up costing over $6 Billion and maybe be finished around 2032.
Luckily a large percentage of commuters now work at home.