The $US 1.6bn project has entailed converting the 100-year-old James A Farley Post Office Building at 8th Avenue, across the street from Penn station, into a railway facility.
Moynihan Train Hall expands Penn station’s concourse space by 50%, and will relieve crowding and improve passenger comfort and security. It is named after the late US Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who represented New York for 24 years and championed the project.
The first phase of the project, completed in 2017, included a new $US 300m concourse with direct access to the western end of platforms for 17 of Penn station’s 21 tracks.
The second phase is a public-private partnership involving Empire State Development, Vornado Realty Trust, Related Companies, Skanska, LIRR, Amtrak, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and was delivered via a design-build partnership.
Moynihan’s features include:
- a skylight over an atrium that is approximately the size of Grand Central Terminal’s Main Hall
- designated customer service locations for each railway
- LED and LCD train information displays
- a free public Wi-Fi network
- a waiting room
- a premium Metropolitan Lounge providing food and beverages, and
- a dedicated lounge for mothers with young children.
“Amtrak’s Moynihan Train Hall will deliver the world-class rail travel experience our customers deserve when travelling to and from this incredible city,” says Amtrak’s board chair Mr Tony Coscia. “The beautiful vistas, modern design, new amenities and enhanced accessibility features showcase the kinds of improvements Amtrak is undertaking across our network. Amtrak dreamed up this plan 35 years ago and we deeply thank all our partners for helping to make it a reality.”
“New Yorkers have known for decades that Penn station needed to be reimagined and after years of work, the Moynihan Train Hall will open on time and on budget at the end of 2020,” says New York’s governor Mr Andrew Cuomo.
