The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has undertaken an exciting design-build initiative to transform the New York region’s transportation system by bringing direct Metro-North service from the Bronx, Westchester, and Connecticut to Penn Station and Manhattan’s west side.
The Penn Station Access project will use Amtrak’s existing Hell Gate Line to access Penn Station, maximizing the potential of existing infrastructure while minimizing impacts on the surrounding community. It will bring the Hell Gate Line into a state of good repair, improve reliability and on-time performance for intercity passengers, and prepare the line for future high-speed rail.
In addition to building four new ADA-accessible passenger rail stations in the East Bronx at Hunts Point, Morris Park, Co-op City, and Parkchester/Van Nest, the project involves turning the existing 2-track Hell Gate line railroad into a largely 4-track railroad, with over 19 miles of new and rehabilitated track work. The project includes four bridge rehabilitations, new and reconfigured interlockings, new and upgraded substations, and the modernization of signal, power, and communication infrastructure. Upon project completion in 2027, it is envisioned that 192 Metro-North trains will operate daily on the Hell Gate Line.
Penn Station Access will support the local economy and attract regional talent by increasing accessibility to underserved neighborhoods, connecting communities along the Hell Gate Line, and making educational campuses, medical facilities, shopping centers, and parks easier to reach for residents in the Bronx and throughout the greater New York City area. The project will also introduce reverse commuting opportunities and cut travel times, with some passengers expected to save as much as 75 minutes. By improving transportation options and reliability, Penn Station Access will help avoid outmigration of jobs and residents, retain dense energy-efficient land use patterns that keep greenhouse gas emissions low, and encourage drivers to switch from single-driver car travel to mass transit, thereby reducing traffic congestion and emissions. The project is being designed to meet industry standards for sustainability.
As part of the project management team led by WSP USA, Group PMX provides commercial management services, including contract, claims, and change order management; financial controls, management, and reporting; and scheduling support.