Network Rail and AECOM to review New York’s Penn station

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Pennsylvania station. Credit: BravoKiloVideo/Shutterstock.
Pennsylvania station. Credit: BravoKiloVideo/Shutterstock.
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Amtrak has appointed Network Rail and AECOM to conduct an independent review of Pennsylvania Station.

The partnership will start work to assess the station immediately and will make recommendations to improve its design, functionality, communications and coordination.

‘Penn’ station is New York’s main station, it serves more than 600,000 people each workday, triple the number of passengers it was designed for.

Earlier this year New York’s governor Andrew Cuomo announced a plan to deal with the station’s ‘intolerable state of disrepair’, with derailments and cancellations causing delays for millions of travellers.


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Operators Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit currently manage their respective passenger concourses at the station but the AECOM-Network Rail partnership will be asked to review and advise how the trio can better work together.

The recommendations are expected in early 2018.

In a statement on its website, a spokesperson for station owner Amtrak said: “Using their analysis of Penn Station as well as knowledge of national and international best practices at rail stations and airports, the consultants will develop recommendations for a unified three-railroad concourse operations centre.

“The consultants will also provide an overall plan for improvements to Penn Station’s passenger concourses.

“This will include guidance on operations and maintenance partnerships as well as guidance on Amtrak’s planned redevelopment of Penn Station in partnership with the private sector.”

Amtrak co-CEO Wick Moorman added: “New York Penn Station is the busiest rail hub in the country, and Amtrak is dedicated to making improvements to the railroad and the station that will improve the passenger experience.

“We have made significant progress in renewing rail infrastructure at Penn Station and are now taking steps to improve the passenger areas.

“We have assembled a top-notch team of national and international experts to work with the railroads on delivering solutions that will greatly improve the passenger experience at New York Penn Station.”

Network Rail is the owner and infrastructure manager of most of the railway network in England, Scotland and Wales. AECOM is a multinational engineering firm.


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