Gateway Program Hudson River Tunnels and Penn Station Expansion

planned

The Gateway Program aims to add new Hudson River tunnels to double peak train capacity at Penn Station. However, Penn Station is currently operating beyond its design capacity with narrow platforms, limited yard space, and complex track geometry. The study recommends expanding Penn Station's physical footprint and yard capacity to accommodate the increased train traffic, as operational trade-offs alone will not suffice. Rail partners including Amtrak, MTA, and NJ TRANSIT agree that physical expansion is necessary to handle the doubled trans-Hudson train capacity.