Reps. Torres, Ocasio-Cortez, Latimer, Himes, and DeLauro Urge Amtrak to Prioritize Penn Station Access and Reimburse MTA for Delay Costs

Resources / In the News Share on Reps. Torres, Ocasio-Cortez, Latimer, Himes, and DeLauro Urge Amtrak to Prioritize Penn Station Access and Reimburse MTA for Delay Costs May 15, 2026 In the News WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, Congressmembers Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), George Latimer (NY-16), Jim Himes (CT-04), and Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) sent a letter to Roger Harris , President of Amtrak, urging the agency to take every action needed to ensure that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Metro-North Railroad can begin delivering service to constituents in the Bronx, Westchester, and Connecticut as soon as possible. The letter is the second the delegation has sent to Amtrak on the Penn Station Access project, following an October 2025 letter that came after reports the $2.9 billion project could be delayed until 2030. The letter calls on Amtrak to prioritize the capital work necessary to achieve full service by early 2029 and to reach an agreement with the MTA on reimbursing the potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in delay costs caused by Amtrak, costs that should not fall on New York and Connecticut taxpayers. “The path to 2029 service for Penn Station Access is achievable but only with the complete cooperation of Amtrak,” said Rep. Torres . “The time has come for Amtrak to rise to the occasion and ensure that New York and Connecticut taxpayers are not left holding the bill for delays they did not cause.” “Providing direct access to Penn Station for the Metro-North riders of Southwestern Connecticut must be a priority for Amtrak,” said Rep. Himes. “The project timeline has already been pushed back two years – another delay caused by a lack of cooperation is unacceptable, both for its denial of service to my constituents and the cost it would incur to Connecticut taxpayers. Amtrak and MTA should do everything in their power to get this project over the finish line by early 2029.” “Connecticut commuters have waited long enough,” said Rep. DeLauro. “Metro-North is a vital connection that saves working families time and money on their daily commutes. We must prioritize the work needed to get trains running by 2029 and stop passing the costs of delays onto New York and Connecticut taxpayers. Our constituents deserve to have full service begin as soon as possible.” The full text of the letter reads: “As members of the New York and Connecticut Congressional Delegations, we remain troubled that the Penn Station Access project is delayed and urge Amtrak to take every action needed to ensure that Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Metro-North Railroad can begin delivering service to our constituents as soon as possible. “As we have outlined in our previous October 30, 2025 letter, the project is a critical transportation project for the New York-Connecticut region. It will finally deliver mass transit access to neighborhoods in the Bronx that have long seen passenger trains pass by without stopping, and provide both Westchester and Connecticut access to Penn Station and Manhattan’s West Side, saving commuters significant time. “Since our initial letter, we have been informed that some issues have been addressed and some progress has even been made to try and make up for lost time. Specifically, the ability to create double-block outages along the rail line has enabled more work to bring the rail line up to a state of good repair and accommodate Metro-North trains faster. This is promising news and we expect this close coordination on outage and staffing support to continue as the project progresses. “However, given the significant delays to the project, and Amtrak’s inability to accommodate the MTA’s previous plan for limited early service, we understand there are two key outstanding issues: expediting progress so service can begin by early 2029 and reaching an agreement on sharing delay costs. “The highest priority is providing service. We have learned that it is possible for full service to begin in early 2029 if Amtrak and the MTA can agree to prioritize the capital work needed for service to begin, without compromising safety or reliability, while deferring some other work that is desirable but not critical for service. At the same time, considering the project has been delayed to the point where the initial 2027 deadline is unachievable, we strongly urge Amtrak to address the potentially hundreds of millions of dollars the MTA has incurred due to delays caused by Amtrak. These costs should not fall on New York State or Connecticut taxpayers. We strongly encourage Amtrak to find workable solutions with the MTA on these two critical matters. “It is paramount that you focus on these outstanding issues in order to allow full service to begin as soon as possible. We understand that the MTA has provided a fair plan to Amtrak for completing the project efficiently. We strongly support this plan and urge Amtrak to cooperate with the MTA for the benefit of the communit