Representation by the artist of the competition in the Moynihan train hall.
For a life-changing symbol of change in New York City next year, hundreds of thousands of East Coast train and commuter trainers don’t have to look Further than the opening of January 1 a Moynihan train hall.
The $ 1.6 billion project expands Penn Station, the country’s busiest rail terminal, by 25,600 square meters (23,690 square meters) to serve Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak passengers. 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 American Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who condemned the 1964 rise of the above-ground portion of Penn Station history that made way for Madison Square Garden. After the original Beaux-Arts was destroyed, architectural historian Vincent Scully wept: “One entered the city like a god. One now enters like a rat. “
Here are answers to some of the biggest questions about the project:
What can commuters expect?
Developers have expanded Penn Station into the 108-year-old James A. Farley Post Office Building, a landmark designed by McKim, Mead & White, just across Penn Station’s Eighth Avenue. Passengers will enter a large central atrium, covered by a 92-meter-high skylight. There is a lounge dedicated to nursing mothers and free high-speed public Wi-Fi throughout.
How will the shuttles change?
Starting January 1, all Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak trains will be served by the 17 accessible lines in the train hall. Finally, the facility will also serve Metro-North commuters. Each operator will provide customer service and waiting areas.
Amtrak is expanding its passenger services in the new hall. Its opening may coincide at the end of this year with the arrival of us High-speed trains That will serve the Boston-Washington corridor at speeds of up to 165 mph. Its facilities will include a staff lounge available to all first-class passengers or sleeping cars, plus members of Amtrak’s reward plans.
How will the passengers from Moynihan to Penn and vice versa?
Amtrak’s main entrance to the Moynihan train hall is in the middle of the block on 31st Street. In bad weather, customers can walk between Moynihan and Penn Station on the LIRR contest, through the Moynihan lower contest. Or, guests can exit Penn Station on Eighth Avenue, cross that street, and enter the train room.
Is it accessible for travelers with disabilities?
Passengers with disabilities can use any entrance to access the train hall. In addition, there will be level boarding on the platforms. It will provide Red Cap assistance, TTD communications for the deaf and wheelchair services at the station.
Who pays?
The project is funded with $ 550 million from New York State; $ 420 million from Amtrak, The Metropolitan Transit Authority, the New York and New Jersey Port Authority and a federal grant; and $ 630 million from developers, Basket 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 passengers between 1 a.m. and 5 p.m., when the Moynihan train hall will be closed to the public. The facility has been undergoing cosmetic and structural renovation in recent years.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has a plan to expand railway capacity to Penn Station by about 40%, acquiring land south of the existing station to add four train ports and eight track lengths.
What other work is being done?
The review also includes the creation of a 700,000-square-meter mixed development with commercial, retail and dining spaces. It is part of a $ 2.5 billion project that includes renovations and upgrades to the existing Penn station and adjacent subway stations.