By Railfan & Railroad Staff
NEW YORK CITY — Amtrak is dramatically expanding its footprint in New York City with the opening of the $1.6 billion Moynihan Train Hall on Jan. 1. The new station is located inside the Farley Post Office building between 31st and 33rd Street directly across 8th Avenue from New York Penn Station. Officials say that the new station will reduce crowding and enhance the passenger experience for those traveling in and out of New York on the Northeast Corridor.
The improved station has been decades in the making and along with upgrades at Penn Station will help improve what the New York Times recently called “perhaps the most miserable train hub in New America.” The new station is named after Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, who first proposed turning the post office building into a new Penn Station decades ago.
“Moynihan Train Hall represents Amtrak’s commitment to offering the best possible travel experience,” said Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn. “Between the improved passenger comfort and security, the new amenities and enhanced accessibility features, this is the type of train station that the late Senator Moynihan always envisioned for New York City travelers.”
Moynihan Train Hall includes large, spacious areas for customers to explore and physical distance from others, accessible features that cater to the needs of all Amtrak customers, state-of-the-art technologies to improve the boarding experience using the free customer WiFi throughout the station, a large boarding concourse that features a sky-lit atrium approximately the size of the Grand Central Terminal’s Main Hall, a new reserved customer waiting room, Red Cap Service, and a new, flagship premium Metropolitan Lounge, providing select travelers with a high-quality experience, including expanded food and beverage offerings.
“Amtrak’s Moynihan Train Hall will deliver the world-class rail travel experience our customers deserve when traveling to and from this incredible city. The beautiful vistas, modern design, new amenities and enhanced accessibility features showcase the kinds of improvements Amtrak is undertaking across our network,” said Amtrak Board Chair Tony Coscia. “Amtrak dreamed up this plan 35 years ago and we deeply thank Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, Sen. Chuck Schumer and the New York Congressional delegation, and all our partners for helping to make it a reality.”
Moynihan Train Hall and New York Penn Station will operate as one complex with Amtrak’s full-service offerings available in Moynihan Train Hall between 5:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m., (closed overnight between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m.). New York Penn Station will remain accessible 24/7 as a self-service station, with minimal staff support and limited concourse operations between 1:00 a.m. and 5:00 a.m. when Moynihan is closed. Tracks 5-16 can be accessed from the Moynihan Train Hall main concourse and Tracks 1-4 will be available at New York Penn Station.
