Three of Penn Station's 21 Tracks to be Closed this Summer
Officials allowed reporters onto Penn Station tracks for the first time Thursday to look at the repairs that need to be made to reduce future derailments and other delays.
“We will be taking out ties," said Amtrak Vice President of Operations Mike DeCataldo. "We will be taking out the steel. We will be taking out switches, ballasts — basically getting it down to ground level to reconstruct the railroad,”
While Amtrak had earlier announced it would have to reduce service at Penn, DeCataldo gave more details along the tour, specifying that the repairs would shut down three out of the station's 21 tracks at a time. But he warned the impact will be felt far more widely.
“All 21 tracks get used during the rush hours,” he said. “It seems like not a lot — three tracks — but it really is a huge impact on capacity.”
Only one track would be repaired at a time, DeCataldo said, but the two others are needed for staging and removing old equipment.
Two derailments and other major service disruptions in recent months highlighted the station's aging infrastructure. Much of the equipment hasn't been replaced since the 1970s.
Amtrak hasn't released details on how NJ Transit and Long Island Rail Road schedules will be affected.
