Waving a magic wand over intractable cases: since the start of his term in office, Donald Trump has prided himself on his ability to put an end to it in just a few days to the war in Ukraine, to the Israeli-Iranian-Palestinian conflict or, more successfully, to the dissensions between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo or between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
But if the Nobel Peace Prize does not one day reward his efforts, the American President could always aim for the title of "great stationmaster" as a consolation. With, the Pennsylvania Station in New YorkPenn Station, the busiest in the United States with 650,000 passengers a day. Penn Station" or who knows, one day "Trump Station", with Transport Secretary Sean Duffy having told American journalists that "Trump will be the first person to use Penn Station". that sounded good " ? Whatever happens, everything will depend on the success of its reinvention, which has been dormant for several decades after numerous failed attempts.
" The current state of Penn Station is unacceptable: crumbling infrastructure, dark and dirty architecture, impassable corridors and a lack of welcoming spaces for families with children.said the US Secretary of Transportation. Under President Trump's leadership, we will transform Penn Station into a world-class transit hub that is beautiful, safe and clean. "
To ensure that everything goes smoothly in this brave new world, the Trump administration has taken control ofa project previously managed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York (MTA), the operator of the city's subways and two commuter trains. For several years now, the MTA has been working hard on the gradual overhaul of the station, estimated to cost 7 billion dollars.
Renovation of the lower concourse, new entrances, improved accessibility: located on the west side of Manhattan, close to the new Hudson Yards business district, the station, which lives on the achievements of its built in the 60s has already undergone recent improvements. What's more, at a time when its traffic is reaching saturation point, construction of two new rail tunnels under the Hudson has already begun.
But the pace was probably not fast enough for move this project forward". at Trump's speed "as the Secretary of State for Transport Sean Duffy put it, quoted by the New York Times. And yet it has little to do with major rail projects, as can be seen from the freeze on funding for high-speed lines at the end of the year. Texas last April and now in California, Donald Trump and his administration intend to complete the upgrade of the station that everyone has been waiting for.
To achieve this, the State Department of Transport took the baby out of the MTA's hands last spring and put it in the hands of the public railway company Amtrakone of the major users of the site, along with NJ Transit trains and MTA subways. In the end, this did not seem to displease the Democratic governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, as her state was thus exempting itself from a 1.3 billion dollar investment, with the federal government and Amtrak picking up the bill for their part.
To give itself the means to succeed, Amtrak has hired a "Mr Penn Station", Andrew Byford, former President of New York City Transit and a great connoisseur of the sectorwho has managed the transport systems in Toronto and, more recently, London. On 27 August, the Secretary of State for Transport announced that work would begin before the end of 2027. With a fast-track timetable that will see the unveiling of potential developers in October, before a competition whose results will be announced in May 2026.
Enlarged footprint for the station, moving the legendary Madison Square Garden venue Over the years, there have been a number of hypotheses, but nothing has been decided, apart from the refusal to demolish an entire block to the south of the station. Another possible change would be to make Penn Station a transit station on the way to Manhattan, rather than a terminus. According to the New York Times, the companies using the station had long been opposed to this, but Andrew Byford seems to be promoting the idea and has convinced the federal authorities.
" With Secretary Duffy pushing the project forward and asking for design proposals, New Yorkers are getting a little closer toa station worthy of this great city "said the Governor of the State of New York. As for what her name will ultimately be? Suspense...
