The Battle of Penn Station

Amtrak special adviser Andy Byford has a station to sell you.

Byford, once known to New Yorkers as “Train Daddy,” has spent the last month traveling up and down the East Coast seeking buy-in for the Trump administration’s plan to rebuild Penn Station. He’s met with federal officials in Washington. He’s gotten NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri to partner on the project. He presented the plan to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, as well as every elected official who represents the area around Penn Station.

But Byford hasn’t managed to secure a meeting with one of Manhattan’s most powerful figures: MTA Chair Janno Lieber.