Gateway Project
Encyclopedia
The Gateway Project is a proposed American
rail expansion project to build a high-speed rail
right-of-way and to alleviate the bottleneck
along the Northeast Corridor
(NEC) between Newark, New Jersey
, and New York City
. The project would create routing alternatives
and add 25 train slots during peak periods
to the current system used by Amtrak
(AMTK) and New Jersey Transit
(NJT) that has reached full capacity.
The new right-of-way is one proposed solution to congestion at crossings of the Hudson River between New York
and New Jersey
. The planned route parallels the current one crossing the New Jersey Meadowlands
and the river between Newark Penn Station and New York Penn Station (NYPS) in Midtown Manhattan
. Major new infrastructure would include new rail bridges, new tunnels under the Hudson Palisades and the river, the conversion of parts of the James Farley Post Office
into a rail station, and a new terminal
annex to NYPS. Some previously planned improvements already underway have also been incorporated into the Gateway plan.
The project was unveiled in February 2011 after the 2010 cancellation of the somewhat similar Access to the Region's Core (ARC) project. Funding for the project, expected to cost $13.5 billion and be completed in 2020, remains unclear.
and Robert Menendez
. The announcement also included endorsements from New York Senator Charles Schumer
and Amtrak's Board of Directors. Officials said Amtrak would take the lead in seeking financing; a list of potential sources included the states of New York and New Jersey, the City of New York, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
(PANYNJ), and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
(MTA) as well as private investors. In April 2011, Amtrak applied for $1.3 billion in funding for NEC rail corridor improvements from the United States Department of Transportation
to be allocated to Gateway and related projects.
Two parts of the project, the replacement of the Portal Bridge
over the Hackensack River
and development of Moynihan Station in Manhattan
, are underway. Environmental impact statement
s are completed and the design and engineering of the new bridges has begun. The ceremonial groundbreaking of the first phase of the conversion of the Farley P.O.
to a new Moynihan Station took place in October 2010. Some funding for the projects comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
.
The announcement was a preliminary plan for the project, which is estimated to have a cost of $13.5 billion and has a projected completion date of 2020. The source of further funding remains unclear as does how any work done for ARC may be used. More than $600 million had been spent on that project. In November 2011, US Congress allocated $15 million for engineering work for Gateway.
(PRR) in conjunction with the 1910 opening of Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
which required the construction of the Portal Bridge
over the Hackensack River
and the North River Tunnels under the Hudson Palisades and Hudson River. The following year the Manhattan Transfer
was opened in the Kearny Meadows to allow changes between steam
and electric locomotive
s. This also provided for passenger transfers to/from its former main terminal at Exchange Place
in Jersey City or the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad (H&M), the forerunner of today's Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH). The Dock Bridge
over the Passaic River
was opened in conjunction with adjacent new Pennsylvania Station (Newark)
in 1935. In 1937, the H&M was extended over a second span, making the transfer in the meadows redundant.
In 1949, the PRR discontinued its ferry system on the Hudson and in 1961 closed its Exchange Place
station. In 1962, it agreed to the demolition of its Manhattan station in exchange for a smaller one under a new Madison Square Garden
. In 1967, the Aldene Plan was implemented, requiring the floundering Central Railroad of New Jersey
(CNJ), Reading (RDG), and Lehigh Valley
(LV) railroads, to travel into Newark Penn with continuing service to New York Penn. The following year the PRR merged with New York Central (NYC), but the new Penn Central (PC) declared bankruptcy on June 21, 1970. In 1976, its long distance service (including part of today's Northeast Corridor
and Empire Corridor
) was taken over by Amtrak
, which had been founded in 1971. Conrail was created in 1976 to bail out numerous Northeast railroads, including the commuter service on the CNJ and the LV. In 1983, when the corporation divested it passenger rail operations, they were taken over by New Jersey Transit
(NJT), which had been created in 1979 to operate much of the state's bus system.
In 1991, New Jersey Transit opened the Waterfront Connection
, extending service on some non-electricfied trains which had previously terminated at Newark Penn Station to Hoboken. In 1996, it began its Midtown Direct service, rerouting some trains from the west which previously terminated at Hoboken Terminal
to New York Penn. Secaucus Junction
was opened in 2003, allowing passengers travelling from the north to transfer to Northeast Corridor Line
, North Jersey Coast Line
, or Midtown Direct trains, though not to Amtrak, which does not stop there. Between 1976 and 2010, the number of New Jersey Transit
weekday trains crossing the Hudson using the North River Tunnels (under contract with Amtrak) increased from 147 to 438.
Since the 1976 takeover, the number of weekday train movements at New York Penn Station, including those of Amtrak, NJT, and Long Island Railroad (LIRR), has increased 89%, from 661 to 1248, and is considered to be at capacity. In 2010, the station saw 550,000 daily boardings/alightings.
from Newark Penn is provided by Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH), a rapid transit
system with additional terminals at World Trade Center
and Herald Square
in Manhattan, and at Hoboken Terminal
and Journal Square in Hudson County.
There are three vehicular crossings of the lower Hudson River. The Holland Tunnel
, opened in 1927, is minimally used for public transportation. The George Washington Bridge
, opened in 1931, is used by suburban buses to GWB Bus Terminal
. Its lower level, opened in 1962, is the last new river crossing. The Lincoln Tunnel
, composed of three tubes opened in 1937, 1945 and 1954, is the busiest tunnel in the world. Its eastern terminus is connected via ramps to the Port Authority Bus Terminal
, the gateway for most NJT bus traffic entering Manhattan
. While there are HOV lanes to the tunnel there are often long delays due to traffic congestion
and the capacity of bus lanes at the bus terminal
to handle passengers.
. It found that long-term goals would best be met by better connections to and in-between the region's major rail stations in Midtown Manhattan
, Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal
. The East Side Access
project, including tunnels under the East River
and the East Side
of Manhattan, which would divert some LIRR
traffic to Grand Central, is expected to be completed in 2016.
The Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel or THE Tunnel, which later took on the name of the study itself, was meant to address the western, or Hudson River, crossing. Engineering studies determined that structural interferences made a direct connection to Grand Central or the current Penn Station unfeasible and its final design involved boring
under the current rail yard and 34th Street
to a new deep cavern terminal station. While Amtrak had acknowledged that the region represented a bottleneck in the national system and had originally planned to complete work by 2040, its timetable for beginning the project was advanced in part due to the cancellation of ARC, a project similar in scope, but with differences in design. That project, which did not include direct Amtrak participation was cancelled in October 2010 by New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who cited potential cost overruns. Amtrak briefly engaged the governor in attempt to revive the ARC Tunnel and use preliminary work done for it, but those negotiations soon broke down. Amtrak said it was not interested in purchasing any of the work. Senator Menendez later said some preparatory work done for ARC may be used for the new project.
, the only intermediate station and a major interchange point in the NJT system.
Six tracks connect Newark Penn Station and the adjacent Dock Bridge
over the Passaic River
. The station and the west span of the bridge, carrying three tracks, were built in 1935. The east span, opened in 1937, carries one outbound track, and the two Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH) tracks entering and leaving the station. The bridge, owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
(PANY/NJ), underwent repairs as recently as 2009. To the northeast lies the Harrsion PATH Station
. Between the bridge and the station AMTK and NJT trains are aligned on three center tracks to pass through it, with the PATH using side platform
s. While not part of the Gateway Project, the station is undergoing a $173 million reconstruction and expansion funded by the PANY/NJ which owns and operates the PATH rapid transit system. Passenger use is expected to grow as the area develops; it already includes the Red Bull Arena.
At Kearny Junction
, east of the former Manhattan Transfer
, the rights-of-way of Amtrak, and PATH, and several NJT lines converge and run parallel to each other. While there is no junction with PATH, NJT trains can switch tracks, depending on their terminal of origination or destination, enabling Midtown Direct trains on the Morris and Essex Lines to join or depart the Northeast Corridor
. The single track limited-use Waterfront Connection
connects some lines using diesel trains on Hoboken Terminal
trips with the NEC to the west. Currently the NEC runs on two tracks northeast of the junction. Plans call for expansion to four tracks, requiring the construction of bridges in the Kearny Meadows at Newark Turnpike and Belleville Turnpike.
The current Portal Bridge
, over the Hackensack River
between Kearny
and Secaucus
, has been in operation since 1910. The rail-only swing bridge
is 961 feet (292.9 m) long and supports two tracks. Its lowest beams are 23 feet (7 m) above the water, so it opens regularly for shipping, though not during weekday rush hours, when trains have priority. It requires frequent servicing, is costly to maintain and limits the number of crossings as well as train speeds.
In December 2008, the Federal Railroad Administration
approved a $1.34 billion project to replace the Portal Bridge with two new bridges: a three-track bridge to the north, and a two-track bridge to the south, after completion of environmental impact statement
s. In 2009, New Jersey applied for funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
and on January 28, 2010, received $38.5 million for design. Current plans call for two two-track bridges. Cycling advocates, with the support of Senator Lautenberg, are lobbying to include bike paths as part of the East Coast Greenway
. Construction was scheduled to begin in 2010, and the new bridges are scheduled to be completed in 2017, at which time the Portal Bridge will be dismantled. In April 2011, Amtrak applied for $570 million for construction from US DOT
. New Jersey is expected to contribute $150 million.
Opened on December 15, 2003, Secaucus Junction
is an interchange station
served by nine of New Jersey Transit's rail lines, and is sited where Hoboken Terminal
trains intersect with those traveling along the Northeast Corridor
. Passenger transfers are possible, but there is no rail junction. While the ARC had planned a loop to create a junction, plans for the Gateway Project do not. Amtrak trains pass through the station, but do not stop there, nor are there plans to include an Amtrak stop.
The current North River Tunnels allow for 23 one-way crossings per hour during peak periods
. The ARC Tunnel was to be built in three sections: under the Hudson Palisades, the Hudson River, and the streets of Manhattan where it would have dead-ended. The Gateway Tunnel will likely be built along the same footprint of its first two parts, but will enable trains to join the current interlocking
once it emerges. A flying junction
is planned for later stages. This will allow AMTK and NJT continued access to the East River Tunnels
and Sunnyside Yards, used for staging and storage, and for use by Amtrak's NEC through-service trains. Capacity on the system will be increased by an additional 25 trains per hour. In April 2011 requested $188 million in federal funding for preliminary engineering studies and environmental analysis.
Initial work for the ARC Tunnel had begun before its cancellation. The project's groundbreaking
was held on June 8, 2009. at the site of new underpass at Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen where western portal of the tunnel through Hudson Palisades
would have been located, just south of that of the North River Tunnels. The first major tunneling contract for the project had been awarded on May 5, 2010 to Skanska
. The land at its portal, which cost $26.3 million, is now owned by NJT. According to maps released at the announcement of the Gateway Project the tunnel under the Palisades will follow the same route to a location near the Weehawken
-Hoboken
border.
The Gateway Hudson River tunnel will travel from a point at Weehawken Cove under the Hudson River and its eastern portal south of West Side Yard
in Manhattan. Engineering studies for ARC along this route had been deemed unfeasible. The yards are slated to be developed as a residential and commercial district on platform constructed over them as part of Hudson Yards.
Surveys of properties which would or would not be affected by underground construction at underground eastern end of the ARC Tunnel had been completed.
The original Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
was completed in 1910. The station's air rights
were optioned in the 1950s and called for the demolition of the head-house
and train shed
, while the tracks, well below street level, would remain. Demolition began in October 1963. The Pennsylvania Plaza
complex, including Madison Square Garden
, was completed in 1968. The station is used by Amtrak
, New Jersey Transit
, and the Long Island Railroad, and is served by several New York City Subway
lines.
In the early 1990s, then-New York Senator Daniel Moynihan announced plans to convert portions of the James Farley Post Office
to a train station. Opened in 1912, soon after the original Pennsylvania Station, the landmark building is the city's main post office. It stands across from Penn Plaza and is built over tracks approaching the station from the west.
The project languished for almost two decades, until the final chunk of the $267 million in funding for the first phase of the conversion was secured in early 2010. The phase will expand and improve the 33rd Street Connector between Penn Station and its West End Concourse. Located under the grand staircase of the post office, the concourse will be widened to serve nine of Pennsylvania Station's 11 platforms, and new street entrances will be opened from the southeast and northeast corners of the Farley building. Some $169 million provided by federal and state sources was already in place when a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grant
arrived in early 2010. A ceremonial groundbreaking and signing for the $83 million in funds took place in October.
No timetable has been set for further phases, which may include public-private partnership
s. In April 2011 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
announced that the state had applied for $49.8 million in federal funding for the final design of Phase 2 of the station's conversion.
The Gateway Project will have little effect on the first phase of the Farley conversion, though some trains will be routed under it from the new tunnels.
are planned as part of the NEC Next Generation High Speed Rail, including the northern and southern approaches to the Gateway Project.
on one of the busiest segments on the NEC. The project is designed to upgrade electrical power, signal systems and overhead catenary wires on a 24 miles (38.6 km) section between New Brunswick
and Trenton
to improve reliability, increase speeds up to 160 mile per hour, and support more frequent high-speed service. Funding for the project and others announced at the same time had not been "obligated" by Congress and was threatened to be diverted by a bill passed by the House of Representatives
in July 2011, but was later secured to allow work to proceed.
in Queens. The work will allow for a dedicated tracks to the New York Connecting Railroad
right of way for AMTK trains arriving from or bound for New England
, thus avoiding NJT and LIRR traffic. A new flyover will allow Amtrak trains to travel through the interlocking separately from LIRR trains, and NJ TRANSIT trains on their way to Sunnyside. Financing for the project was placed in jeopardy by House of Representtatives
in July 2011 which voted to divert the funding to unrelated projects., but was later obligated so that work on the project can began in 2012.
Amtrak has applied for $15 million for the environmental impact studies and preliminary engineering design to examine replacement options for the more than 100-year-old, low-level movable rail bridge (just west of Pelham Bridge
) over the Hutchinson River in The Bronx
. The goal is for a new bridge to support expanded service and speeds up to 110 mph (177 kph).
(MTA) 7 Subway Extension
five blocks east to New York Penn Station from the currently planned station at 10th Avenue and 34th Street. This would provide service to the Javits Convention Center and a one seat ride to Grand Central Terminal
, the city's other major train terminal on the East Side of Manhattan at 42nd Street. Shortly before the introduction of Gateway, the New York City Economic Development Corporation
voted to budget up to $250,000 for a feasibility study
of a Hudson River tunnel for an extension to Secaucus Junction
awarded to Parsons Brinckerhoff
, a major engineering firm that had been working on the ARC tunnel. In October 2011, Bloomberg reiterated his support for the NJ extension, estimated to cost around $10 billion and take ten years to complete, indicating that he would give approval by the end of his third term in 2013. Environmental-impact studies and a full business plan are required before the proposal proceeds. It is likely that the two projects - Gateway and the subway line - will be competition for funding.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rail expansion project to build a high-speed rail
High-speed rail
High-speed rail is a type of passenger rail transport that operates significantly faster than the normal speed of rail traffic. Specific definitions by the European Union include for upgraded track and or faster for new track, whilst in the United States, the U.S...
right-of-way and to alleviate the bottleneck
Bottleneck
A bottleneck is a phenomenon where the performance or capacity of an entire system is limited by a single or limited number of components or resources. The term bottleneck is taken from the 'assets are water' metaphor. As water is poured out of a bottle, the rate of outflow is limited by the width...
along the Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
(NEC) between Newark, New Jersey
Newark, New Jersey
Newark is the largest city in the American state of New Jersey, and the seat of Essex County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Newark had a population of 277,140, maintaining its status as the largest municipality in New Jersey. It is the 68th largest city in the U.S...
, and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The project would create routing alternatives
Redundancy (engineering)
In engineering, redundancy is the duplication of critical components or functions of a system with the intention of increasing reliability of the system, usually in the case of a backup or fail-safe....
and add 25 train slots during peak periods
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
to the current system used by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
(AMTK) and New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit rail operations
New Jersey Transit Rail Operations is the rail division of New Jersey Transit. It provides regional rail service in New Jersey, with most service centered around transportation to and from New York City, Hoboken, and Newark...
(NJT) that has reached full capacity.
The new right-of-way is one proposed solution to congestion at crossings of the Hudson River between New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. The planned route parallels the current one crossing the New Jersey Meadowlands
New Jersey Meadowlands
New Jersey Meadowlands, also known as the Hackensack Meadowlands after the primary river flowing through it, is a general name for the large ecosystem of wetlands in northeast New Jersey in the United States. The Meadowlands are known for being the site of large landfills and decades of...
and the river between Newark Penn Station and New York Penn Station (NYPS) in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
. Major new infrastructure would include new rail bridges, new tunnels under the Hudson Palisades and the river, the conversion of parts of the James Farley Post Office
James Farley Post Office
The James A. Farley Post Office Building is the main post office building in New York City. Its ZIP code designation is 10001. Built in 1912, the building is famous for bearing the inscription: Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of...
into a rail station, and a new terminal
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
annex to NYPS. Some previously planned improvements already underway have also been incorporated into the Gateway plan.
The project was unveiled in February 2011 after the 2010 cancellation of the somewhat similar Access to the Region's Core (ARC) project. Funding for the project, expected to cost $13.5 billion and be completed in 2020, remains unclear.
Announcement and initial phases
The Gateway Project was unveiled on February 7, 2011, by Amtrak President Joseph Boardman and New Jersey Senators Frank LautenbergFrank Lautenberg
Frank Raleigh Lautenberg is the senior United States Senator from New Jersey and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he was the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Automatic Data Processing, Inc.-Early life, career, and family:...
and Robert Menendez
Robert Menendez
Robert "Bob" Menendez is the junior United States Senator from New Jersey and a member of the Democratic Party. In January 2006, he was appointed to fill the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Jon Corzine, who resigned upon being elected Governor of New Jersey. Menendez was elected to his own full...
. The announcement also included endorsements from New York Senator Charles Schumer
Charles Schumer
Charles Ellis "Chuck" Schumer is the senior United States Senator from New York and a member of the Democratic Party. First elected in 1998, he defeated three-term Republican incumbent Al D'Amato by a margin of 55%–44%. He was easily re-elected in 2004 by a margin of 71%–24% and in 2010 by a...
and Amtrak's Board of Directors. Officials said Amtrak would take the lead in seeking financing; a list of potential sources included the states of New York and New Jersey, the City of New York, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the Port of New York and New Jersey...
(PANYNJ), and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
(MTA) as well as private investors. In April 2011, Amtrak applied for $1.3 billion in funding for NEC rail corridor improvements from the United States Department of Transportation
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
to be allocated to Gateway and related projects.
Two parts of the project, the replacement of the Portal Bridge
Portal Bridge
The Portal Bridge is a rail bridge over the Hackensack River just west of Secaucus Junction in northeastern New Jersey, USA. The two-track, moveable swing-span between the towns of Kearny and Secaucus is owned and operated by Amtrak...
over the Hackensack River
Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban area outside New York City just west of the lower Hudson River,...
and development of Moynihan Station in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, are underway. Environmental impact statement
Environmental impact statement
An environmental impact statement , under United States environmental law, is a document required by the National Environmental Policy Act for certain actions "significantly affecting the quality of the human environment". An EIS is a tool for decision making...
s are completed and the design and engineering of the new bridges has begun. The ceremonial groundbreaking of the first phase of the conversion of the Farley P.O.
James Farley Post Office
The James A. Farley Post Office Building is the main post office building in New York City. Its ZIP code designation is 10001. Built in 1912, the building is famous for bearing the inscription: Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of...
to a new Moynihan Station took place in October 2010. Some funding for the projects comes from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
.
The announcement was a preliminary plan for the project, which is estimated to have a cost of $13.5 billion and has a projected completion date of 2020. The source of further funding remains unclear as does how any work done for ARC may be used. More than $600 million had been spent on that project. In November 2011, US Congress allocated $15 million for engineering work for Gateway.
Right-of-way
The right-of-way was originally developed by the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
(PRR) in conjunction with the 1910 opening of Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
which required the construction of the Portal Bridge
Portal Bridge
The Portal Bridge is a rail bridge over the Hackensack River just west of Secaucus Junction in northeastern New Jersey, USA. The two-track, moveable swing-span between the towns of Kearny and Secaucus is owned and operated by Amtrak...
over the Hackensack River
Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban area outside New York City just west of the lower Hudson River,...
and the North River Tunnels under the Hudson Palisades and Hudson River. The following year the Manhattan Transfer
Manhattan Transfer (PRR station)
Manhattan Transfer was a passenger station in Harrison, New Jersey, east of Newark, 8.8 miles west of New York Penn Station on the Pennsylvania Railroad main line, now Amtrak's Northeast Corridor...
was opened in the Kearny Meadows to allow changes between steam
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
and electric locomotive
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
s. This also provided for passenger transfers to/from its former main terminal at Exchange Place
Exchange Place (PRR station)
The Pennsylvania Railroad Station was the intermodal passenger terminal for the Pennsylvania Railroad's vast holdings on the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay in Jersey City, New Jersey. By the 1920s the station was called Exchange Place in response to local nomenclature...
in Jersey City or the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad (H&M), the forerunner of today's Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH). The Dock Bridge
Dock Bridge
Dock Bridge is a pair of vertical lift bridges crossing the Passaic River at Newark, New Jersey, used exclusively for railroad traffic. Sometimes known as the Amtrak Dock Vertical Lift, the bridges cross the river between Newark and Harrison and carry Amtrak, New Jersey Transit, and Port Authority...
over the Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...
was opened in conjunction with adjacent new Pennsylvania Station (Newark)
Pennsylvania Station (Newark)
Pennsylvania Station is a major transportation hub in Newark, New Jersey. Located at Raymond Plaza, between Market Street and Raymond Boulevard, Newark Penn Station is served by the Newark Light Rail, New Jersey Transit commuter rail, Amtrak long distance trains, the PATH rapid transit system, and...
in 1935. In 1937, the H&M was extended over a second span, making the transfer in the meadows redundant.
In 1949, the PRR discontinued its ferry system on the Hudson and in 1961 closed its Exchange Place
Exchange Place, Jersey City
Exchange Place is a district of Downtown Jersey City, New Jersey that is sometimes referred to as "Wall Street West" due to the concentration of financial concerns which have offices there...
station. In 1962, it agreed to the demolition of its Manhattan station in exchange for a smaller one under a new Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
. In 1967, the Aldene Plan was implemented, requiring the floundering Central Railroad of New Jersey
Central Railroad of New Jersey
The Central Railroad of New Jersey , commonly known as the Jersey Central Lines or CNJ, was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s, lasting until 1976 when it was absorbed into Conrail with the other bankrupt railroads of the Northeastern United States...
(CNJ), Reading (RDG), and Lehigh Valley
Lehigh Valley Railroad
The Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad...
(LV) railroads, to travel into Newark Penn with continuing service to New York Penn. The following year the PRR merged with New York Central (NYC), but the new Penn Central (PC) declared bankruptcy on June 21, 1970. In 1976, its long distance service (including part of today's Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
and Empire Corridor
Empire Corridor
The Empire Corridor is a term used to refer to the approximately corridor between Niagara Falls and New York City, including the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady and Albany. The Empire Service and Maple Leaf serve the entire length of this corridor, and the Maple Leaf...
) was taken over by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, which had been founded in 1971. Conrail was created in 1976 to bail out numerous Northeast railroads, including the commuter service on the CNJ and the LV. In 1983, when the corporation divested it passenger rail operations, they were taken over by New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
(NJT), which had been created in 1979 to operate much of the state's bus system.
In 1991, New Jersey Transit opened the Waterfront Connection
Waterfront Connection
The Waterfront Connection allows trains from New Jersey Transit's Newark Division to switch from the former PRR main line to the former DL&W main line to Hoboken. The connection opened on September 9, 1991....
, extending service on some non-electricfied trains which had previously terminated at Newark Penn Station to Hoboken. In 1996, it began its Midtown Direct service, rerouting some trains from the west which previously terminated at Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
to New York Penn. Secaucus Junction
Secaucus Junction
The Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey...
was opened in 2003, allowing passengers travelling from the north to transfer to Northeast Corridor Line
Northeast Corridor Line
The Northeast Corridor Line is a commuter rail operation run by New Jersey Transit along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. It is the successor to commuter services provided by the Pennsylvania Railroad along the section between Trenton, New Jersey and New York Penn Station...
, North Jersey Coast Line
North Jersey Coast Line
The North Jersey Coast Line is a New Jersey Transit commuter rail service operating between New York Penn Station or Hoboken Terminal and Bay Head, New Jersey...
, or Midtown Direct trains, though not to Amtrak, which does not stop there. Between 1976 and 2010, the number of New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
weekday trains crossing the Hudson using the North River Tunnels (under contract with Amtrak) increased from 147 to 438.
Since the 1976 takeover, the number of weekday train movements at New York Penn Station, including those of Amtrak, NJT, and Long Island Railroad (LIRR), has increased 89%, from 661 to 1248, and is considered to be at capacity. In 2010, the station saw 550,000 daily boardings/alightings.
Trans-Hudson crossings
The other rail system crossing the Hudson was developed by the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad, partially in conjunction with the PRR, and taken over by PANYNJ in 1962. Direct trans-Hudson rail service to Lower ManhattanLower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
from Newark Penn is provided by Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH), a rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
system with additional terminals at World Trade Center
World Trade Center (PATH station)
The World Trade Center PATH station originally opened on July 19, 1909 as the Hudson Terminal. When the Hudson Terminal was torn down to make way for the World Trade Center, a new station was built, which opened in 1971...
and Herald Square
33rd Street (PATH station)
The 33rd Street PATH station, opened on November 10, 1910, is located on Sixth Avenue , between 32nd and 33rd Streets in Manhattan, under Greeley Square and just south of Herald Square....
in Manhattan, and at Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
and Journal Square in Hudson County.
There are three vehicular crossings of the lower Hudson River. The Holland Tunnel
Holland Tunnel
The Holland Tunnel is a highway tunnel under the Hudson River connecting the island of Manhattan in New York City with Jersey City, New Jersey at Interstate 78 on the mainland. Unusual for an American public works project, it is not named for a government official, politician, or local hero or...
, opened in 1927, is minimally used for public transportation. The George Washington Bridge
George Washington Bridge
The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 cross the river via the bridge. U.S...
, opened in 1931, is used by suburban buses to GWB Bus Terminal
George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal
The George Washington Bridge Bus Station is a commuter bus terminal located at the east end of the George Washington Bridge in the Washington Heights area of Manhattan in New York City, New York....
. Its lower level, opened in 1962, is the last new river crossing. The Lincoln Tunnel
Lincoln Tunnel
The Lincoln Tunnel is a long tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey and the borough of Manhattan in New York City.-History:...
, composed of three tubes opened in 1937, 1945 and 1954, is the busiest tunnel in the world. Its eastern terminus is connected via ramps to the Port Authority Bus Terminal
Port Authority Bus Terminal
The Port Authority Bus Terminal is the main gateway for interstate buses into Manhattan in New York City...
, the gateway for most NJT bus traffic entering Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. While there are HOV lanes to the tunnel there are often long delays due to traffic congestion
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
and the capacity of bus lanes at the bus terminal
Bus terminus
A bus terminus is a designated place where a bus or coach starts or ends its scheduled route. The terminus is the designated place that a timetable is timed from. Termini can be located at bus stations, interchanges, bus garages or simple bus stops. Termini can both start and stop at the same...
to handle passengers.
Access to the Region's Core
Launched in 1995 by PANYNJ, NJT, and MTA, Access to the Region's Core (ARC) was a Major Investment Study that looked at public transportation ideas for the New York metropolitan areaNew York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
. It found that long-term goals would best be met by better connections to and in-between the region's major rail stations in Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan
Midtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
, Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
. The East Side Access
East Side Access
East Side Access is a public works project being undertaken by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York City, designed to bring the Long Island Rail Road into a new East Side station to be built below and incorporated into Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan...
project, including tunnels under the East River
East River
The East River is a tidal strait in New York City. It connects Upper New York Bay on its south end to Long Island Sound on its north end. It separates Long Island from the island of Manhattan and the Bronx on the North American mainland...
and the East Side
East Side
-Municipalities:* East Side Township, Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States* East Side, Pennsylvania, United States- Canada :* Eastside, Ontario, a neighborhood in Sault Ste...
of Manhattan, which would divert some LIRR
Lirr
Lirr or LIRR may refer to:*Long Island Rail Road, a commuter railroad in Long Island, New York, USA*Lapeer Industrial Railroad, in Lapeer, Michigan*Leeds Inner Ring Road, a motorway and A-road circling Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
traffic to Grand Central, is expected to be completed in 2016.
The Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel or THE Tunnel, which later took on the name of the study itself, was meant to address the western, or Hudson River, crossing. Engineering studies determined that structural interferences made a direct connection to Grand Central or the current Penn Station unfeasible and its final design involved boring
Boring (earth)
Boring is drilling a hole, tunnel, or well in the earth.-Earth boring:Boring is used for a wide variety of applications in geology, agriculture, hydrology, civil engineering, and oil and natural gas industries...
under the current rail yard and 34th Street
34th Street (Manhattan)
34th Street is a major cross-town street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, connecting the Lincoln Tunnel and Queens-Midtown Tunnel. Like many of New York City's major crosstown streets, it has its own bus routes and four subway stops serving the trains at Eighth Avenue, the trains at...
to a new deep cavern terminal station. While Amtrak had acknowledged that the region represented a bottleneck in the national system and had originally planned to complete work by 2040, its timetable for beginning the project was advanced in part due to the cancellation of ARC, a project similar in scope, but with differences in design. That project, which did not include direct Amtrak participation was cancelled in October 2010 by New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who cited potential cost overruns. Amtrak briefly engaged the governor in attempt to revive the ARC Tunnel and use preliminary work done for it, but those negotiations soon broke down. Amtrak said it was not interested in purchasing any of the work. Senator Menendez later said some preparatory work done for ARC may be used for the new project.
Existing and new infrastructure along right of way
The current route, about 11 miles (17.7 km) long, includes infrastructure that is more than 100 years old. The system operates at capacity during peak hours — 23 trains per hour — and limits speed for safety reasons. The new high-speed route would run parallel to the current right-of-way, enabling dispatching alternatives, potential speed increases, and up to 25 more trains per hour. There are no plans for Amtrak to stop at Secaucus JunctionSecaucus Junction
The Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey...
, the only intermediate station and a major interchange point in the NJT system.
Newark Penn, Dock Bridge, Harrison PATH Station
40°44′05"N 74°9′51"WSix tracks connect Newark Penn Station and the adjacent Dock Bridge
Dock Bridge
Dock Bridge is a pair of vertical lift bridges crossing the Passaic River at Newark, New Jersey, used exclusively for railroad traffic. Sometimes known as the Amtrak Dock Vertical Lift, the bridges cross the river between Newark and Harrison and carry Amtrak, New Jersey Transit, and Port Authority...
over the Passaic River
Passaic River
The Passaic River is a mature surface river, approximately 80 mi long, in northern New Jersey in the United States. The river in its upper course flows in a highly circuitous route, meandering through the swamp lowlands between the ridge hills of rural and suburban northern New Jersey,...
. The station and the west span of the bridge, carrying three tracks, were built in 1935. The east span, opened in 1937, carries one outbound track, and the two Port Authority Trans Hudson (PATH) tracks entering and leaving the station. The bridge, owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a bi-state port district, established in 1921 through an interstate compact, that runs most of the regional transportation infrastructure, including the bridges, tunnels, airports, and seaports, within the Port of New York and New Jersey...
(PANY/NJ), underwent repairs as recently as 2009. To the northeast lies the Harrsion PATH Station
Harrison (PATH station)
Harrison is a PATH station on Frank E. Rodgers Boulevard south of the Interstate 280 overpass in Harrison, New Jersey served by the Newark-World Trade Center line.-Layout:The station has two narrow, open-air side platforms...
. Between the bridge and the station AMTK and NJT trains are aligned on three center tracks to pass through it, with the PATH using side platform
Side platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s. While not part of the Gateway Project, the station is undergoing a $173 million reconstruction and expansion funded by the PANY/NJ which owns and operates the PATH rapid transit system. Passenger use is expected to grow as the area develops; it already includes the Red Bull Arena.
Kearny Meadows
40.7435°N 74.1267°WAt Kearny Junction
Kearny Junction
Kearny Junction is a railroad junction in Kearny, New Jersey, where the Kearny Connection splits from the former Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad main line. The Kearny Connection was built in the 1990s to connect the DL&W to the former Pennsylvania Railroad line to New York Penn Station...
, east of the former Manhattan Transfer
Manhattan Transfer (PRR station)
Manhattan Transfer was a passenger station in Harrison, New Jersey, east of Newark, 8.8 miles west of New York Penn Station on the Pennsylvania Railroad main line, now Amtrak's Northeast Corridor...
, the rights-of-way of Amtrak, and PATH, and several NJT lines converge and run parallel to each other. While there is no junction with PATH, NJT trains can switch tracks, depending on their terminal of origination or destination, enabling Midtown Direct trains on the Morris and Essex Lines to join or depart the Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
. The single track limited-use Waterfront Connection
Waterfront Connection
The Waterfront Connection allows trains from New Jersey Transit's Newark Division to switch from the former PRR main line to the former DL&W main line to Hoboken. The connection opened on September 9, 1991....
connects some lines using diesel trains on Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
trips with the NEC to the west. Currently the NEC runs on two tracks northeast of the junction. Plans call for expansion to four tracks, requiring the construction of bridges in the Kearny Meadows at Newark Turnpike and Belleville Turnpike.
Portal Bridge
40°45′13"N 74°5′41"WThe current Portal Bridge
Portal Bridge
The Portal Bridge is a rail bridge over the Hackensack River just west of Secaucus Junction in northeastern New Jersey, USA. The two-track, moveable swing-span between the towns of Kearny and Secaucus is owned and operated by Amtrak...
, over the Hackensack River
Hackensack River
The Hackensack River is a river, approximately 45 miles long, in the U.S. states of New York and New Jersey, emptying into Newark Bay, a back chamber of New York Harbor. The watershed of the river includes part of the suburban area outside New York City just west of the lower Hudson River,...
between Kearny
Kearny, New Jersey
Kearny is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. It was named after Civil War general Philip Kearny. As of the United States 2010 Census, the town population was 40,684. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark....
and Secaucus
Secaucus, New Jersey
Secaucus is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 16,264. Located within the New Jersey Meadowlands, it is the most suburban of the county's municipalities, though large parts of the town are dedicated to light manufacturing, retail, and...
, has been in operation since 1910. The rail-only swing bridge
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
is 961 feet (292.9 m) long and supports two tracks. Its lowest beams are 23 feet (7 m) above the water, so it opens regularly for shipping, though not during weekday rush hours, when trains have priority. It requires frequent servicing, is costly to maintain and limits the number of crossings as well as train speeds.
In December 2008, the Federal Railroad Administration
Federal Railroad Administration
The Federal Railroad Administration is an agency in the United States Department of Transportation. The agency was created by the Department of Transportation Act of 1966...
approved a $1.34 billion project to replace the Portal Bridge with two new bridges: a three-track bridge to the north, and a two-track bridge to the south, after completion of environmental impact statement
Environmental impact statement
An environmental impact statement , under United States environmental law, is a document required by the National Environmental Policy Act for certain actions "significantly affecting the quality of the human environment". An EIS is a tool for decision making...
s. In 2009, New Jersey applied for funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
and on January 28, 2010, received $38.5 million for design. Current plans call for two two-track bridges. Cycling advocates, with the support of Senator Lautenberg, are lobbying to include bike paths as part of the East Coast Greenway
East Coast Greenway
The East Coast Greenway, or ECG, is a project to create a nearly urban path linking the major cities of the Atlantic coast of the United States, from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida, for non-motorized human transportation...
. Construction was scheduled to begin in 2010, and the new bridges are scheduled to be completed in 2017, at which time the Portal Bridge will be dismantled. In April 2011, Amtrak applied for $570 million for construction from US DOT
United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation is a federal Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transportation. It was established by an act of Congress on October 15, 1966, and began operation on April 1, 1967...
. New Jersey is expected to contribute $150 million.
Secaucus Junction
40.76161°N 74.074985°WOpened on December 15, 2003, Secaucus Junction
Secaucus Junction
The Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey...
is an interchange station
Interchange station
An interchange station or a transfer station is a train station for more than one railway route in a public transport system, and allows passengers to change from one route to another. Transfer may occur within the same mode, or between rail modes, or to buses...
served by nine of New Jersey Transit's rail lines, and is sited where Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal
Hoboken Terminal is one of the New York Metropolitan area's major transportation hubs. The commuter-oriented intermodal facility, is located on the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey...
trains intersect with those traveling along the Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
. Passenger transfers are possible, but there is no rail junction. While the ARC had planned a loop to create a junction, plans for the Gateway Project do not. Amtrak trains pass through the station, but do not stop there, nor are there plans to include an Amtrak stop.
Gateway Tunnel
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
. The ARC Tunnel was to be built in three sections: under the Hudson Palisades, the Hudson River, and the streets of Manhattan where it would have dead-ended. The Gateway Tunnel will likely be built along the same footprint of its first two parts, but will enable trains to join the current interlocking
Interlocking
In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...
once it emerges. A flying junction
Flying junction
A flying junction or flyover is a railway junction at which one or more diverging or converging tracks in a multiple-track route cross other tracks on the route by bridge to avoid conflict with other train movements. A more technical term is "grade-separated junction"...
is planned for later stages. This will allow AMTK and NJT continued access to the East River Tunnels
East River Tunnels
The East River Tunnels are 4 single-track railroad tunnels that extend from the eastern end of Pennsylvania Station under 32nd and 33rd Streets in Manhattan and cross the East River to Long Island City in Queens. The tracks carry Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak trains travelling to and from Penn...
and Sunnyside Yards, used for staging and storage, and for use by Amtrak's NEC through-service trains. Capacity on the system will be increased by an additional 25 trains per hour. In April 2011 requested $188 million in federal funding for preliminary engineering studies and environmental analysis.
Palisades Tunnel
40°45′56"N 74°2′14"WInitial work for the ARC Tunnel had begun before its cancellation. The project's groundbreaking
Groundbreaking
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are often attended by dignitaries such as politicians and...
was held on June 8, 2009. at the site of new underpass at Tonnelle Avenue in North Bergen where western portal of the tunnel through Hudson Palisades
Bergen Hill
Bergen Hill refers to the lower Hudson Palisades in New Jersey, USA, where they emerge on Bergen Neck, which in turn is the peninsula between the Hackensack and Hudson River, and their bays. In Hudson County, it reaches a height of 260 feet.-Rail:...
would have been located, just south of that of the North River Tunnels. The first major tunneling contract for the project had been awarded on May 5, 2010 to Skanska
Skanska
Skanska AB, is a multinational construction and development company based in Sweden, where it also is the largest construction company. The company's head office is in Solna, north of Stockholm.-History:...
. The land at its portal, which cost $26.3 million, is now owned by NJT. According to maps released at the announcement of the Gateway Project the tunnel under the Palisades will follow the same route to a location near the Weehawken
Weehawken, New Jersey
Weehawken is a township in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 12,554.-Geography:Weehawken is part of the New York metropolitan area...
-Hoboken
Hoboken, New Jersey
Hoboken is a city in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population was 50,005. The city is part of the New York metropolitan area and contains Hoboken Terminal, a major transportation hub for the region...
border.
Hudson River Tunnel
40.75479°N 74.01677°WThe Gateway Hudson River tunnel will travel from a point at Weehawken Cove under the Hudson River and its eastern portal south of West Side Yard
West Side Yard
The West Side Yard is a rail yard owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on the west side of Manhattan in New York City...
in Manhattan. Engineering studies for ARC along this route had been deemed unfeasible. The yards are slated to be developed as a residential and commercial district on platform constructed over them as part of Hudson Yards.
Surveys of properties which would or would not be affected by underground construction at underground eastern end of the ARC Tunnel had been completed.
New York Penn
40.750638°N 73.993899°WThe original Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
was completed in 1910. The station's air rights
Air rights
Air rights are a type of development right in real estate, referring to the empty space above a property. Generally speaking, owning or renting land or a building gives one the right to use and develop the air rights....
were optioned in the 1950s and called for the demolition of the head-house
Head house
A head house is a part of a train station.-Rail terminals:In the context of rail transport, head house refers to that portion of a passenger terminal not housing the tracks and platforms themselves. Typically, the head house contains ticket counters, toilets and baggage facilities, if there are...
and train shed
Train shed
A train shed is an adjacent building to a railway station where the tracks and platforms are covered by a roof. It is also known as an overall roof...
, while the tracks, well below street level, would remain. Demolition began in October 1963. The Pennsylvania Plaza
Pennsylvania Plaza
Pennsylvania Plaza is the office, entertainment and hotel complex occupying and near the site of Pennsylvania Station, between 31st and 34th Streets and Seventh and Eighth Avenues in New York....
complex, including Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
, was completed in 1968. The station is used by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, New Jersey Transit
New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the United States state of New Jersey, and New York, Orange, and Rockland counties in New York State...
, and the Long Island Railroad, and is served by several New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
lines.
Moynihan Station
40°45′4.4"N 73°59′42.64"WIn the early 1990s, then-New York Senator Daniel Moynihan announced plans to convert portions of the James Farley Post Office
James Farley Post Office
The James A. Farley Post Office Building is the main post office building in New York City. Its ZIP code designation is 10001. Built in 1912, the building is famous for bearing the inscription: Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of...
to a train station. Opened in 1912, soon after the original Pennsylvania Station, the landmark building is the city's main post office. It stands across from Penn Plaza and is built over tracks approaching the station from the west.
The project languished for almost two decades, until the final chunk of the $267 million in funding for the first phase of the conversion was secured in early 2010. The phase will expand and improve the 33rd Street Connector between Penn Station and its West End Concourse. Located under the grand staircase of the post office, the concourse will be widened to serve nine of Pennsylvania Station's 11 platforms, and new street entrances will be opened from the southeast and northeast corners of the Farley building. Some $169 million provided by federal and state sources was already in place when a Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Grant
Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery
Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery is a supplementary discretionary grant program included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009...
arrived in early 2010. A ceremonial groundbreaking and signing for the $83 million in funds took place in October.
No timetable has been set for further phases, which may include public-private partnership
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
s. In April 2011 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Cuomo
Andrew Mark Cuomo is the 56th and current Governor of New York, having assumed office on January 1, 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the 64th New York State Attorney General, and was the 11th United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...
announced that the state had applied for $49.8 million in federal funding for the final design of Phase 2 of the station's conversion.
The Gateway Project will have little effect on the first phase of the Farley conversion, though some trains will be routed under it from the new tunnels.
Penn Station South
Penn Station South will be located on the block south of the current New York Penn Station at 31st Street and diagonally across Eighth Avenue from the post office, on land which is currently privately held. While the PANYNJ had been acquiring land for ARC along its route, acquisition south of the station has not begun. It is likely the entire block would be razed and made available for highrise construction after completion of the station. Plans call for seven tracks served by four platforms in what will be a terminal annex to the entire station complex. In April 2011 Amtrak requested $50 million in federal funding for preliminary engineering and environmental analysis.Related projects
Other projects in Tri-State (NY-NJ-CT) metropolitan areaNew York metropolitan area
The New York metropolitan area, also known as Greater New York, or the Tri-State area, is the region that composes of New York City and the surrounding region...
are planned as part of the NEC Next Generation High Speed Rail, including the northern and southern approaches to the Gateway Project.
New Brunswick-Trenton
In May 2011, $450 million was dedicated to a six-year project to support capacity increaseson one of the busiest segments on the NEC. The project is designed to upgrade electrical power, signal systems and overhead catenary wires on a 24 miles (38.6 km) section between New Brunswick
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, USA. It is the county seat and the home of Rutgers University. The city is located on the Northeast Corridor rail line, southwest of Manhattan, on the southern bank of the Raritan River. At the 2010 United States Census, the population of...
and Trenton
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
to improve reliability, increase speeds up to 160 mile per hour, and support more frequent high-speed service. Funding for the project and others announced at the same time had not been "obligated" by Congress and was threatened to be diverted by a bill passed by the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in July 2011, but was later secured to allow work to proceed.
Harold Interlocking and Hutchinson River
Over 750 LIRR, NJT, and Amtrak trains travel through the Harold Interlocking everyday, causing frequent conflicts and delays.In May 2011, a $294.7 million federal grant was awarded to address congestion the the USA's busiest rail junction and part of the Sunnyside YardSunnyside Yard
Sunnyside Yard is a large coach yard, a railroad yard for passenger cars, in Sunnyside, Queens in New York City.-Description:The yard is owned by Amtrak and is also used by New Jersey Transit. The shared tracks of the Long Island Rail Road Main Line and Amtrak's Northeast Corridor pass along the...
in Queens. The work will allow for a dedicated tracks to the New York Connecting Railroad
New York Connecting Railroad
The New York Connecting Railroad or NYCR is a rail line in the borough of Queens in New York City. It links New York City and Long Island by rail directly to the North American mainland. Amtrak, CSX, Canadian Pacific Railway, Providence and Worcester Railroad and New York and Atlantic Railway...
right of way for AMTK trains arriving from or bound for New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, thus avoiding NJT and LIRR traffic. A new flyover will allow Amtrak trains to travel through the interlocking separately from LIRR trains, and NJ TRANSIT trains on their way to Sunnyside. Financing for the project was placed in jeopardy by House of Representtatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in July 2011 which voted to divert the funding to unrelated projects., but was later obligated so that work on the project can began in 2012.
Amtrak has applied for $15 million for the environmental impact studies and preliminary engineering design to examine replacement options for the more than 100-year-old, low-level movable rail bridge (just west of Pelham Bridge
Pelham Bridge
Pelham Bridge is a bascule bridge located in the New York City borough of the Bronx. It carries Shore Road, and a walkway along the downstream side, over the Hutchinson River. The bridge is operated and maintained by the New York City Department of Transportation.Unlike most movable bridges in the...
) over the Hutchinson River in The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
. The goal is for a new bridge to support expanded service and speeds up to 110 mph (177 kph).
7 Subway service
While not part of the Gateway Project, Amtrak's announcement included a proposal to extend the Metropolitan Transportation AuthorityMetropolitan Transportation Authority (New York)
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority of the State of New York is a public benefit corporation responsible for public transportation in the U.S...
(MTA) 7 Subway Extension
7 Subway Extension
The 7 Subway Extension — Hudson Yards Rezoning and Development Program is the plan to extend the IRT Flushing Line of the New York City Subway, which carries the 7 train service, westward from its current terminus at Times Square, adding one new station at 34th Street – Eleventh Avenue...
five blocks east to New York Penn Station from the currently planned station at 10th Avenue and 34th Street. This would provide service to the Javits Convention Center and a one seat ride to Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal
Grand Central Terminal —often incorrectly called Grand Central Station, or shortened to simply Grand Central—is a terminal station at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States...
, the city's other major train terminal on the East Side of Manhattan at 42nd Street. Shortly before the introduction of Gateway, the New York City Economic Development Corporation
New York City Economic Development Corporation
New York City Economic Development Corporation is a non-profit local development corporation that promotes economic growth across New York City's five boroughs. It is the City's official Economic development corporation, charged with using the City's assets to drive growth, create jobs, and...
voted to budget up to $250,000 for a feasibility study
Feasibility study
Feasibility studies aim to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of the existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats as presented by the environment, the resources required to carry through, and ultimately the prospects for success. In its simplest...
of a Hudson River tunnel for an extension to Secaucus Junction
Secaucus Junction
The Frank R. Lautenberg Secaucus Junction Station is a major commuter rail hub in Secaucus, New Jersey...
awarded to Parsons Brinckerhoff
Parsons Brinckerhoff
Parsons Brinckerhoff is a professional services firm with 14,000 employees in 150 offices providing construction and operation management, planning, design, engineering, program management, strategic consulting, environmental and sustainability services for clients and communities in the Americas,...
, a major engineering firm that had been working on the ARC tunnel. In October 2011, Bloomberg reiterated his support for the NJ extension, estimated to cost around $10 billion and take ten years to complete, indicating that he would give approval by the end of his third term in 2013. Environmental-impact studies and a full business plan are required before the proposal proceeds. It is likely that the two projects - Gateway and the subway line - will be competition for funding.
See also
- Acela ExpressAcela ExpressThe Acela Express is Amtrak's high-speed rail service along the Northeast Corridor in the Northeast United States between Washington, D.C., and Boston via Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York...
- Cross-Harbor Rail TunnelCross-Harbor Rail TunnelThe Cross-Harbor Rail Tunnel is a proposed freight rail transport tunnel under Upper New York Bay in the Port of New York and New Jersey between northeastern New Jersey and Long Island, including southern and eastern New York City.-Background:Direct connections for rail freight between Long Island...
- High-speed rail in the United StatesHigh-speed rail in the United StatesHigh-speed rail in the United States currently consists of one high-speed rail service: Amtrak's Acela Express runs on the Northeast Corridor from Boston to Washington, D.C...
- Hudson Yards Redevelopment ProjectHudson Yards Redevelopment ProjectThe Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project is a New York City Department of City Planning and Metropolitan Transportation Authority proposal to encourage business development on Manhattan's far West Side along the Hudson River. The project initially included a rezoning of the Far West Side of...
- List of fixed crossings of the North River (Hudson River)
- List of bridges, tunnels, and cuts in Hudson County, New Jersey
- New York Tunnel Extension