MTA: Penn Station Access delayed; limited Bronx service possible in 2027 if Amtrak agrees
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Summary
At a Jan. 5 Community Board 11 joint meeting, MTA officials said full Penn Station Access service is now projected in 2030 after Amtrak-related delays, but temporary platforms could allow limited service at three Bronx stations in 2027 if Amtrak provides additional outages and coordination.
Joe O'Donnell, director of strategic initiatives and community affairs for MTA Construction and Development, told Community Board 11 on Jan. 5 that the Metro-North Penn Station Access project has been slowed by delivery and staffing issues on Amtrak's side and that the MTA is pursuing a phased approach to open limited Bronx service sooner.
"We do believe we could deliver limited service by 2027," O'Donnell said, describing a plan that would use temporary platforms at Parkchester-Van Nest, Morris Park and Co-op City while the remaining permanent stations are finished by 2030. He said the earlier target for full service in 2027 is no longer feasible if the project waits for all four stations to be completed.
The project will convert an Amtrak two-track corridor to four tracks, add or upgrade about 19 miles of track, build four new interlockings, install four substations and rehabilitate multiple bridges. O'Donnell said work in 2025 included commissioning the Leggett interlocking in July, advancing station foundations, installing new track at Parkchester-Van Nest and power-system upgrades.
Why the delay: O'Donnell cited missed commitments from Amtrak that constrained the MTA's ability to perform continuous work. The MTA had planned for 48 long outages in the first two years of construction but received only seven. He also said there were staffing gaps on Amtrak's side — 98 days without an Amtrak foreman and 77 days without a traction lineman — and that the program delivered 53 activities a month against a planned 92.
Those shortfalls, O'Donnell said, prevent the MTA from staging work safely and efficiently and have forced the agency to seek new scheduling strategies. "We need Amtrak to commit to double block outages," he said, and to allow MTA or contractors to do more of the catenary and signal work or otherwise increase the force-account oversight that Amtrak provides.
Temporary service plan: If Amtrak agrees to a refined schedule and additional outages, the MTA would erect temporary platforms and begin a limited service pattern in 2027 with roughly five peak-direction trains into Penn Station in the morning peak and five out in the evening, plus hourly bidirectional service during the day. O'Donnell said Hunts Point is not a candidate for temporary platforms because of low-grade site constraints.
Progress and outreach: O'Donnell gave progress figures including 54% of needed manhole structures installed, 47% of drainage pipe, 59% of detention tanks, 78% of caissons for the catenary, and 45% of columns. He also listed community outreach staff and provided a project hotline ((347) 263-7837) and the Penn Station Access sign-up page on mta.info for updates.
Next steps: MTA officials said they will continue negotiating schedule commitments with Amtrak and report back to the MTA board and community stakeholders as those talks progress. No final decision on temporary service can be made until Amtrak grants the necessary outages and oversight capacity.
The MTA presentation and Q&A closed with the agency offering to follow up on detailed operational questions such as ADA features and security for temporary platforms and contingency planning for severe weather.
