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Amtrak calls for MTA to partner on the Penn Station rebuild it once led
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Published Jun 22, 2026
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By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Published Jun 22, 2026
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Amtrak sent a letter to the MTA on Monday to “reinforce” its offer for the New York transit agency to sign on as a “fully involved” partner in the federal government’s plan to renovate Penn Station.
The letter, from Amtrak special advisor Andy Byford to MTA Chair Janno Lieber, said the MTA has made a “repeated choice over the past year to opt out of participating in the project.” The Trump administration took over the Penn Station rebuild from the MTA last year, and gave control of the project to Amtrak.
“The good news is that MTA can still change its mind,” Byford wrote. “We continue to extend this offer because this project is so critical for New York City, New York state, New Jersey, and soon Connecticut.”
The letter came the same month Amtrak selected a “master developer” group to rebuild the country’s busiest transit hub. The design includes a large new entrance on Eighth Avenue that would help bring in natural light to the dark and cramped station. Renderings of the project include a presidential seal with President Donald Trump’s name.
The feds have pinned the project’s cost at $8 billion.
Since Amtrak took over the project, the MTA has repeatedly said it will rely on its rights as a Penn Station leaseholder to enforce its interests in the renovation. The MTA under Lieber built a new LIRR entrance and upgraded a cramped concourse at Penn Station. The agency also led a $74 million commission to redesign the station before Trump took control of the project.
The MTA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Byford’s letter.
Byford’s letter notes NJ Transit signed on as a project partner earlier this year, and said Amtrak made several offers for the MTA to sign onto an agreement since last fall. He said it was similar to the agreement Amtrak signed onto when the New York officials were running the project.
After weeks of negotiations, Byford alleged the MTA “officially confirmed that it was rejecting the proposed MOA (agreement) and would rely on its lease plus day-to-day working interaction and engagement.”
The letter also said the revised agreement included “removing the requirement for financial contribution” because the MTA said it already spent tens of millions of dollars on preliminary work for the project.
Byford stressed in his letter that Amtrak will move forward with fixing Penn Station with or without the MTA, and aims to get shovels in the ground in 2027.
“New Yorkers, New Jerseyans, and tourists worldwide will soon enjoy the historic transformation of this American gateway,” Byford wrote. “Let’s be partners in more than just name only. Come onboard to the project so MTA can play a part and do right by its customers.”
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Ramsey Khalifeh
Ramsey Khalifeh is a transportation reporter on the NYC Accountability desk covering the largest transit system in the country. He was previously a general assignment reporter at Gothamist and worked on the Boston Globe's metro and copy desk. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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