Andy Byford, the transit guru affectionately known as ‘Train Daddy’ during his previous tenure as MTA New York City Transit president, led a contingent of federal officials on Thursday announcing significant progress in the ambitious overhaul of Midtown’s Penn Station.
The announcement, which marked several key milestones in the project aimed at transforming the aging transportation hub into a “world-class” facility, came during a tumultuous week of finger-pointing regarding a three-year delay on the Penn Station Access project in the Bronx, pointed to an upcoming 2027 ground-breaking to modernize the world-famous transit hub.
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Sean Duffy joined Byford — who was NYC transit boss from 2018 to 2020 and is now special advisor to federally owned Amtrak — to note the arrival of three key milestones, including the solicitation of a master developer.
The chosen developer will be responsible for creating a scope of work that includes a single-level passenger concourse, a reorganization of the train shed infrastructure, including tracks and platforms, and giving the 115-year-old station a new look — something that is at the centerpiece of the long-awaited project.
The search for a master developer began on Thursday, officials said. Amtrak and the federal government will shortlist applications and then seek formal proposals, which will be reviewed through spring 2026. Ultimately, the Amtrak board will decide on a winner based on Byford’s decision before it is presented to Duffy and President Trump.
After the winner is greenlit, feds will work with the chosen team to get shovels in the ground in 2027, officials said.
“This will be one of the biggest and most significant construction projects in U.S. history, and we want the most skilled and knowledgeable partners to help make it a success,” Byford said. “By working with the private sector, we will be working with advisors who focus on the project’s goals while minimizing costs for taxpayers.”
Bringing on more advisors
Feds also announced a set of advisors to help structure the public-private project. These consultants include Hunton Andrews Kurth, LLP, is the legal advisor and KPMG is advising on finances. AKRF was also brought into the collaboration to do environmental consulting. A study is also underway to look at ways to accommodate “passenger service growth” at the station and surrounding areas.
“Under President Trump, USDOT is cutting through the red tape to meet our ambitious timeline,” said Duffy, a former reality television star, “and I’m confident we’ll bring together the greatest minds to create an unmatched symbol of American architecture and infrastructure for visitors and daily commuters to enjoy for decades to come.”
Penn Station is the busiest transit hub in the United States. More than 12 million people traversed the facility last year. Multiple train lines converge here, including NJ Transit, Amtrak and the MTA’s Long Island Rail Road and some subway lines.
The station supports more than 1,000 daily train movements between the three transit systems.
Amtrak and the USDOT under Trump first announced the timeline, as well as a $43 million federal grant, on Aug. 27, after seizing control of the Penn Station overhaul from the MTA in April this year.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose office runs the MTA, applauded the federal grab at the time, saying it would save New York taxpayers over $1 billion as the work gets underway.
A tumultuous week for MTA and Amtrak
Earlier this week, MTA officials, along with a handful of politicians, including Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ritchie Torres, both of whom represent parts of the Bronx, blamed Amtrak for a three-year delay on the Penn Station access project that would give residents in the eastern Bronx a way to the station via Metro-North.
Meanwhile, Amtrak has invested around $140 million in the project, and said in a statement that the agency remains “committed to this critical project and being good stewards of taxpayer investment” for Amtrak, MTA customers, New York residents, and travelers.
“Specific to minimizing delays and expediting the project’s completion, Amtrak is collaborating with the MTA on numerous mitigation strategies,” the statement continued.
The dispute centers on whether there were sufficient Amtrak outages — halting train traffic — to enable work to be completed.
Janno Lieber, chair and CEO of the MTA, said the Penn Station access project is important because Bronx residents have been looking forward to another, faster way to get to Midtown.
“We can fight it out with Amtrak in arbitration,” he said. “We shouldn’t be focused on that. What we should be focused on is whether Amtrak is going to agree to let us start service in 2027.”
