Andy Byford, Amtrak’s “special advisor” for Penn Station, is busy meeting the various stakeholders seeking to influence what will happen at the much-maligned station. He stopped by an informal gathering last Thursday hosted by Sam Turvey of Re-think New York. Byford, who was nick-named “Train Daddy” when he headed the New York City Transit Authority, said he is keeping an open mind. But he made an important announcement.
There will be an independent study of “through running” by the Federal Railroad Administration, and Byford believes through-running should be part of the mix.
The Conservancy has always opposed demolishing the neighborhood around Penn and joined Turvey in calling for an independent study of through-running. Allowing New Jersey Transit and Long Island Railroad trains to pass through the station to other destinations, as Amtrak trains do now, would expand capacity at Penn without requiring the demolition of the block south of Penn. That block contains homes, local businesses, and landmark-quality buildings. Byford said he has walked the block, visiting the lovely 1872 St. John the Baptist Church and the McKim, Mead & White building, which was the powerhouse for the original Penn Station.
Byford has an ambitious goal: transforming Penn, not just reconstructing it. He told the gathering he wants “excellence in every aspect, not just the bricks and mortar, but the look and feel of the place, the logistics, the operation, the customer service…this has got to be a world-class facility.” You can read two articles on Byford’s comments here and here.
Amtrak studies claim that through-running wouldn’t provide the expanded capacity needed at Penn, and couldn’t happen for several decades. Amtrak has proposed building a $17 billion underground station for New Jersey Transit that would require demolishing Block 780. Governor Hochul has joined local elected officials is insisting the block be protected.
Byford has been in this role since May and has kept a low public profile. But he is recognized internationally for transit leadership in Sydney, Toronto, and London. And he was popular with New Yorkers in his transit position here. Byford is well aware of the challenges at Penn with competing railroads and governments.
“Everyone says, ‘You know, you’re crazy!, “ Byford said. “That is exactly my kind of challenge. So I said, ‘I want that job,’ and here I am.”