NEW YORK — A Federal Railroad Administration study says capacity at New York’s Penn Station could be increased by up to eight trains per hour in each direction through a mix of improvements to the existing facilities and limited commuter-rail through running.
The Service Optimization Study released this week is the first phase of a study that was announced last year, after responsibility for planned station development was shifted from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to the FRA and Amtrak [see “FRA to study Penn Station operations …,” Trains.com, July 21, 2025]. The first phase deals with improvements within the existing station complex. A second phase, due in 2028, will examine broader regional measures that could improve capacity.
“The SOS will help us achieve four of our key objectives of the Penn Transformation project: to exponentially increase the concourse capacity, make the station fully accessible, enable for safer and more efficient station operation, and to accommodate current and future passenger growth,” Amtrak Special Advisor Andy Byford said in a press release…