Why Hudson Rail Tunnel Is Getting a Washington Reset: QuickTake

A New York City passenger rail tunnel, widely considered among the most vital U.S. infrastructure projects, was canceled once and revived, only to be stuck in limbo during President Donald Trump’s term. The Gateway Program to ease the toughest East Coast train bottleneck has brighter prospects under President Joe Biden, who for decades commuted on Amtrak between Delaware and Washington. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a former city mayor, says he wants the project to move forward; Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Brooklyn native, has said the rail project will likely get more federal funding. Polly Trottenberg, a former New York City transportation commissioner, will serve as Buttigieg’s deputy.

It would double rail capacity between New Jersey and New York’s Pennsylvania Station with a new route under the Hudson River and a rehabilitated existing tunnel. It also would add tracks and concourses at Penn, the nation’s busiest train station. Funding is in place for another component, the replacement of the Portal Bridge, a swing span over the Hackensack River whose occasional malfunctioning can strand tens of thousands of travelers.