Amtrak is speeding up infrastructure repairs at New York
Penn Station, which will result in track closures and schedule changes
throughout the summer, according to Amtrak president and CEO Wick Moorman.
Penn Station, the busiest train station in the U.S., has
seen significant delays and disruptions over the past few weeks, including two
train derailments. Those problems likely will persist unless current
plans for track repairs are accelerated, particularly on the tracks and switches that help
route trains entering from the Hudson River tunnels and Long Island Rail Road's
West Side Yard, Moorman said.
"While a substantial amount of reconstruction has
already been done at New York Penn Station, the remaining renewal work has been
scheduled to take place over the next several years in order to minimize
impacts on scheduled service," Moorman said in a statement. "We can't
wait that long. This work needs to be done now."
The major projects will begin in May and continue through
the fall and will affect service on Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road and New
Jersey Transit lines. The rail carriers are still finalizing what service
changes will be required, he said.
Amtrak also is conducting work on other station tracks
through June 2018, and most of that work will be done on weekends, according to
Amtrak.