Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT Announce Work to Refresh Ticketed Waiting Area at New York Penn Station

Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT customers to experience more modern amenities

NEW YORK – Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT today began their refresh
of the Ticketed Waiting Area at New York Penn Station, the seating area for their
customers at the Amtrak Concourse on the Upper Level and 8th Avenue
side of the Station. As part of the refresh, customers can expect new furniture
and fixtures, including communal tables and seats with electrical and USB
outlets to charge devices, an upgraded ceiling complete with new LED lighting,
a family area that will also feature a nursing mothers’ pod, the removal of the
midpoint barrier, a new information desk and a second entrance offering easy
access towards the 7th Avenue side of the Station.

“I
am thrilled to see work start on significant improvements to the NJ TRANSIT
waiting area at New York Penn Station,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Because of
increased cooperation between the State of New Jersey, NJ TRANSIT, and our
partners at Amtrak, NJ TRANSIT customers will now have the modern, state of the
art, and comfortable facilities at Penn Station that they have deserved for so
long.”

“The journey is the most important part of the
adventure at Amtrak, and we are refreshing the Ticketed Waiting Area
because that journey begins at the station,” said Amtrak Board Chair Tony
Coscia. “We thank our customers, as well as our partners at NJ TRANSIT, for
their patience and cooperation as we continue to update New York Penn Station with
an improved and more modern experience.”

“These renovations will improve the commute for customers who travel
through Penn Station to New York and surrounding areas,” said New Jersey
Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “Projects
like these encourage use of NJ TRANSIT’s extensive rail network and underscore
our commitment to maintaining safe and comfortable transit facilities for our
customers.”

“NJ TRANSIT customers deserve a better experience at New York Penn Station, and that’s exactly what these improvements will deliver,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett. “Thanks to our renewed partnership, NJ TRANSIT is working closely with Amtrak to put our customers first in every decision we make. Our joint effort to improve the experience at New York Penn Station is a perfect example. These improvements will help reduce overcrowding in the NJ TRANSIT waiting area, improve pedestrian flow through the station, and generally provide for a more comfortable environment for NJ TRANSIT customers using New York Penn Station as an origin or destination.” 

The project, which
includes a $7.2 million total joint investment between Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT,
will be completed over two phases; the first starts today, Jan.7, and
the second is scheduled to start in March, after the first phase is complete.
The second phase is expected to be completed in June 2020. There will also be
two temporary spaces (one for each phase of the project) to accommodate
passengers during the two construction periods. The first will be at the
concourse near Tracks 9 and 10, and the second will be near Tracks 13 and 14.

Amtrak undertook the first steps to refresh the Ticketed
Waiting Area in 2019 when it opened a Starbucks coffee bar in the space to
provide customers with the opportunity to purchase refreshments and removed the
exterior information booth to improve customer flow.

The Ticketed Waiting Area project is the continuation of
several improvements Amtrak has been making to the Station since 2017 as it advances Amtrak’s
plan to modernize stations, infrastructure, and trains on the Northeast
Corridor. Other completed work to date includes the refreshed restrooms,
upgraded air conditioning, new furniture in ClubAcela, and the continued work of
the Infrastructure Renewal program.