The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has awarded a $19.7 million contract for the design phase of a resilience project to protect the Metro-North Railroad’s Hudson Line from the effects of climate change. The work will fortify the line against future stormwater runoff, tidal floods, and other risks between Spuyten Duyvil, The Bronx, and Hastings-on-Hudson in Westchester County. The design phase will be carried out as a joint venture between STV and WSP.
The award marks a major step forward in a flagship $800 million resiliency effort for the Hudson Line in the MTA’s 2025-2029 Capital Plan, and construction is expected to begin in 2029.
The $270 million project targets assets that manage water flow and drainage, stabilize the right of way, and are in poor condition along a segment of the lower Hudson that is highly vulnerable to extreme weather. The scope includes the fortification of retaining walls and slopes, the expansion of culverts and drainage along slopes and track, shoreline structure rehabilitation, and flood protection measures for tracks where possible. The project will also develop a resilient design blueprint to guide future investments along the entirety of the line.
Photograph via New York State.
The corridor’s geography is the root of its exposure. Located directly on the banks of the Hudson River, the Hudson Line is vulnerable to flooding from stormwater runoff during extreme rain and from coastal flooding, both heightened by climate change. The segment between Spuyten Duyvil and Hastings-on-Hudson sits between the Hudson River on the west and several steep slopes on the east, and has experienced numerous recent floods and mudslides. The resulting service disruptions affect a portion of the line used by 25,000 Metro-North riders each weekday, along with Amtrak and freight rail.
The award joins a broader body of work along the line. After Superstorm Sandy, the MTA completed more than $400 million to improve power, communications, and signal systems along a 30-mile portion of the Hudson Line from The Bronx to Croton-Harmon. The agency is also implementing a project to stabilize vulnerable, steep slopes and improve stormwater infrastructure between Glenwood and Greystone stations in Yonkers, funded by $20 million in the FY 2025 state budget secured by Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins. That project is currently in design.
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