The MTA will create an extension of Metro-North Railroad‘s New Haven Line to reach Penn Station. This will create four new accessible stations, improve existing tracks and bridges, and will cut travel times from the Bronx to Manhattan by as much as 50 minutes.

About the project
Penn Station Access will not only provide new rail service for New Yorkers living and working in the East Bronx to Penn Station, but it will also create a direct Metro North connection from Manhattan’s West side to the Bronx, Westchester, and Connecticut via four new ADA-accessible stations located at Hunts Point, Morris Park, Co-op City, and Parkchester/Van Nest. In order to support new rail service, the project includes a scope of work necessary to bring Amtrak’s existing Hell Gate Line into a state of good repair, which includes four bridge rehabilitations, reconfigured interlockings, and the modernization of signal, power, and communication equipment.

Penn Station Access broke ground in December 2022, and the project is estimated to be complete by 2027.

Project benefits

• Four new ADA-accessible stations at Hunts Point, Morris Park, Co-op City, and Parkchester/Van Nest
• A one-seat ride between Penn Station and the East Bronx, Westchester, and Connecticut
• Significant reduction in commutes between the Bronx to Manhattan
• Newly generated economic growth in and around the East Bronx
• A second Metro-North route into Manhattan and another terminal for the railroad
• 19 miles of new and rehabilitated track along Amtrak’s Hell Gate Line, which will improve reliability and on-time service for Amtrak customers
• Less traffic and air pollution