On Friday, officials announced the new and growing $ 1.6 billion Moynihan train corridor, freeing some of New York City’s train travelers from the gloomy catacombs of New York’s Penn Station.
But most NJ Transit passengers will still take a train from the former Eighth Avenue waiting area, not freeing New Jerseyers from the horde of pre-pandemic travelers rushing to the gate.
The new station, located across the street from Penn Station in an old mail sorting facility, will primarily serve Amtrak and Long Island Rail Road passengers.
These passengers were joined by curious railroad historians and historians who attended the public opening of the train station in honor of the late American senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, DN.Y.
Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner conducted a tour on Friday and explained some of the building’s features, which are not a substitute for Penn Station.
“This is the most important passenger train facility in North America,” said Gardner, while explaining the train corridor, its history as an old mail sorting facility and its future in a post-coronavirus world.
People stopped to observe and take pictures of the vast parabolic skylight that runs the length and width of the train’s corridor, supported by steel beams that resemble some of the original features of Penn Station, which was demolished 54 years ago.
“It’s spectacular. I think we’re paying homage to him (the original Penn Station). There are no things or structures that look old or period, until you look up and see the skylight and industrial-looking structure holding the roof, ”said John Turkeli, a historian at Penn Station in Farmingdale, New York. “This is a wonderful place to arrive or depart.”
The station was designed to recover from post-pandemic travel, Gardner said. Amtrak voluntarily reduced the capacity of the trains to 50% to allow for social distance. Currently, the number of passengers is at 20% of pre-COVID capacity, he said.
“We are still optimistic about intercity rail travel,” said Gardner. “As vaccines proliferate and successful measures against the virus are taken, we anticipate that travel will return.”
The Northeast Corridor line between Washington and Boston takes 75% of the share of rail-air passengers.
“There are no alternatives,” said Gardner. “I-95 is not improving, airspace is congested, rail travel remains the most efficient and lowest carbon travel method in the Northeast.”
The railroad will be ready when the trip returns, he added, even if travel patterns change due to COVID-19.
“We believe these cities will return,” said Gardner. “Will they come back in different ways, will there be changes in work patterns? Yes, we anticipate this with the capacity we are adding to our new Acela fleet. We feel that we will adapt to this market. “
The train aisle shows concessions for COVID-19, including non-touch check-in and baggage check, staff behind plexiglass dispensers and hand sanitizer at entrances.
There are parts of Moynihan that look more like an airport than a railway hub, including a baggage carousel with a photographic mural of former Penn Station and a lounge for first-class and premium passengers inspired by an airport club for premium passengers.
Gone are the many ticket agent windows seen in Penn. Gardner said that only a few are present in the train corridor because “the vast majority” are using the Amtrak smartphone app.
Amtrak also built a luxury Metropolitan Lounge on the second floor, with amenities for its first class, sleeping car and club customers, including a family room, bar and buffet and luggage storage areas.
“It is modeled in an international airport lounge and adapted for rails,” said Gardner. “There are two main areas, one is more intimate, with personal space and high-back chairs. People can open the windows and catch a breeze. “
The lounge also has a business area with charging stations between the personal and food service areas. Travelers can also sit on a balcony overlooking the main train hall.
Some areas are still under construction, including a cafeteria and other retail spaces – only one Starbucks is currently operating. A pedestrian crossing from Ninth Avenue to Hudson Yards and offices, including offices surrounding the main corridor skylight, are also under construction. The cafeteria is expected to open in late 2021.
“This will be a destination in itself,” said Gardner.
In the spirit of Penn Station’s original 1910 decor, Moynihan has works of art, including a sculpture of international skyscrapers on the ceiling of one of 31st Street’s entrances.
Other entrances, which have been converted from sidewalks to mail trucks, feature art with stained glass on the ceiling. A series of video screens on one of the train’s corridor walls show a panorama of the attractions of the state and New York City.
What is missing is the presence of NJ Transit, since the conversion of the train hall was financed by Amtrak and the State of New York. NJ Transit passengers will have limited use of the train aisle, as long as their train does not use tracks one through four, which do not extend under Moynihan.
But they will need to use the NJ Transit app to get track information and other information while in Moynihan, because there are no Port Authority ads for NJ Transit trains, said Gardner.
“It is not a departure lounge for NJ Transit at this stage. NJ Transit will continue to board the space we vacate (at Penn Station), ”he said. “Some (passengers) will leave the platforms (for Moynihan). We will not advertise NJT trains. That may change over time. “
Moynihan is part of a larger Penn Station complex to be built as part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Empire Station complex concept. It is also part of the larger Gateway Project to build two new Hudson River rail tunnels and rehabilitate existing 110-year-old tunnels.
“This is the first and main piece of further expansion of the entire Penn complex, it gives us space to alleviate some of the congestion and improve the passenger experience,” said Gardner.
This includes building an annex of Penn Station south of the existing station to provide additional rails and platforms to resolve train level problems at stations.
“In 21 tracks (existing) there is no room to grow during the peak period. We need the addition, so we can start rebuilding Penn Station, ”he said.
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Larry Higgs can be reached at [email protected].