Artist performance of the venue in the Moynihan Train Hall.
Hundreds of thousands of East Coast train passengers and commuters need not look for a symbol of change in New York next year. further as the opening of January 1 Moynihan Train Hall.
The $ 1.6 billion project expands Penn Station, the country’s busiest railroad site, by 23,690 square feet (23,690 square meters) to serve passengers on Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak. The new facility is designed to provide more space for the 650,000 people who traveled through the station each day before the pandemic.
The hall is named after the late US Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who rejected the 1964 cut-off of the above-ground section of the historic Penn Station, which made way for Madison Square Garden. After the Beaux-Arts origins were destroyed, architectural historian Vincent Scully lamented: ‘One entered the city like a god. “You shoot in like a rat now.”
Here are answers to some of the biggest questions about the project:
What can commuters expect?
Developers have expanded Penn Station to the 108-year-old James A. Farley Post Office building, a landmark designed by McKim, Mead & White, just across Eighth Avenue from Penn Station. Passengers will enter a large central atrium with a 92-foot skylight. There is a dedicated lounge for nursing mothers and free public high-speed WiFi.
How will commuting change?
From January 1, all Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak trains will be served by the 17 tracks accessible from the train hall. Eventually, the facility will also serve Metro North commuters. Each operator offers customer service and waiting areas.
Amtrak is expanding its passenger services to the new hall. Its opening may coincide with the arrival of new Acela speed trains that will serve the Boston-Washington corridor at speeds as high as 165 km / h. The facilities will include a staff room available to all first class or sleeper passengers, as well as members of Amtrak’s rewards plans.
How will passengers from Moynihan get to Penn and vice versa?
Amtrak’s main entrance to the Moynihan Train Hall is in the middle block in 31st Street. In bad weather, customers can walk between Moynihan and Penn Station on the LIRR halfway through the Moynihan lower hall. Or customers can leave Penn Station on Eighth Avenue, cross that street and enter the train station.
Is it accessible to travelers with disabilities?
Travelers with disabilities can use any entrance to access the train station. In addition, there will be levels entering the platforms. It provides Red Cap assistance, TTD communication for the deaf and wheelchair service.
Who pays?
The project is funded with $ 550 million from the state of New York; $ 420 million from Amtrak, the Metropolitan Transit Authority, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and a federal grant; and $ 630 million from the developers, Related Cos. And Vornado Realty Trust.
What happens to the existing station?
The old Penn station will continue to serve New Jersey Transit commuters as well as Amtrak travelers between 1 a.m. and 5 p.m., when the Moynihan train hall will be closed to the public. The plant has undergone cosmetic and structural refurbishment in recent years.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo a plan to increase track capacity Penn Station with about 40%, purchasing land south of the existing station to add four train halls and eight rail lengths.
What other work is being done?
The refurbishment also includes the creation of a 700,000-square-foot development in mixed use with commercial, retail and dining space. It is part of a $ 2.5 billion project that includes renovations and upgrades to the existing Penn station and adjacent subway stations.