OP-ED: Another eight-month delay for completion of $3.1 billion MTA Metro-North Bronx East Penn Station Access Project

The announcement by Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman Janno Lieber at the July MTA Capital Construction Monthly Board Meeting the Metro-North Bronx East Penn Station Access Project is now eight months behind schedule comes as no surprise to me The same issues of insufficient track outages and Amtrak force account support is resulting in the $12.6 billion MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) East Side Access to Grand Central Madison completion being delayed years and the cost increasing by a billion dollars may apply to the Metro-North Railroad Bronx East Penn Station Access project schedule and budget.

MTA Metro-North Railroad recently announced earlier this year insufficient future track outages and force account support from Amtrak may delay completion by six to eight months. The project costs have already grown from $600 million 20 years ago to $3.1 billion prior to last year's construction contract award. This price tag does not include the cost for borrowing hidden under the MTA operating agency budget to help project financing.

It was always questionable if Amtrak could provide sufficient track outages and force account support (Amtrak employees) to meet the MTA Metro-North's aggressive schedule for completion by 2027. Amtrak is responsible for $1 billion of the $3.1 billion scope of work. The same Amtrak resources are also committed to other projects along the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C., and Boston for years to come. Three of these in the MTA area include the $1.6 billion New Jersey Northeast Corridor Portal Bridge, the $18 billion Gateway Tunnel Hudson River and the $1.6 billion LIRR East River Tunnel projects. This does not include ongoing routine maintenance at Penn Station Newark, Penn Station New York, Hudson and East River tunnels. Metro-North Rail Road has competing resource needs within its own annual capital and maintenance programs.

Only a review by an independent engineer for both Amtrak and Metro-North 2023 annual Master Force Account and Track Outage Plans could have validated that both agencies have the resources to support this project. Ditto for the project construction schedule. The schedule provides the weekly, monthly and yearly detailed internal construction project interim milestones, along with sequencing of work and critical path that justify the promised original 2027 completion date. We need to see a project recovery schedule to validate the new promise of completion by November 2027.

Don't be surprised if over the next few years, the project completion date might slip even more. The budget may also increase, as construction contractors submit delay claims for insufficient and timely track access necessary to perform required work.

While some riders will exit Penn Station and walk to work, most will have to pay an additional fare for boarding the New York City Transit subway to other Manhattan destinations. These fares will inevitably go up over coming years prior to passenger revenue service is finally introduced.

Don't be surprised to wait until 2028 or 2029 before boarding the first Metro-North New Haven branch Bronx East train to Penn Station.

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Larry Penner is a transportation advocate, historian and writer who previously served as a former director for the Federal Transit Administration Region 2 New York Office of Operations and Program Management. This included the development, review, approval and oversight for billions in capital projects and programs for New Jersey Transit, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, NYC Transit bus, subway and Staten Island Railway, Long Island and Metro North railroads, MTA Bus, NYCDOT Staten Island Ferry along with 30 other transit agencies in New York and New Jersey.

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