'Train Daddy' Andy Byford is criticizing Amtrak's plan to tear down a block in Midtown to expand Penn Station. Instead, Byford says officials should force Madison Square Garden to relocate to allow for a complete overhaul.
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2023.Amtrak's plan to tear down a block in Midtown to expand Penn Station is facing unexpected criticism from a high-profile executive within the agency.in April as an executive overseeing high-speed rail, said last month that the plan was unnecessary.
Byford's remarks are just the latest example of an unflinching habit of publicly criticizing his employer’s major initiatives. He regularly made headlines during his tenure in New York for his clashes with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. He frequentlyDuring the Zoom meeting, Byford said his remarks reflected his views as a “railway professional,” not those of Amtrak’s leadership.
“It’s not just about building something that’s more aesthetically pleasing — important as though that is, Penn Station is kind of an embarrassment — but you can’t fix it by just putting in a few light boxes, by just heightening the ceilings, by just widening a few corridors,” Byford said. “Why not take the opportunity to fix the damn thing once and for all, which is, I’m going to say: get rid of the pillars, which means move MSG, but at the very least, do something with the track configuration to enable through-running,” Byford said.The strategy could allow for more service in and out of Penn Station, according to advocates who support the change. But consolidating the services has never received serious consideration from elected officials on either side of the Hudson River.
“These improvements would cause a significant amount of disruption to existing Amtrak, NJT and LIRR service, as well as service up and down the NEC, which supports some 20% of the nation’s GDP,” Abrams said.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Amtrak unveils results of Gulf Coast safety campaign: Citations issued, education efforts continueAmtrak is releasing the results from an education and enforcement campaign along our future Gulf Coast route. This is an element in the safety campaign we began
Read more »
Tickets issued at train crossings in Alabama to prepare people for Amtrak’s returnAmtrak, CSX, ALEA , Mobile Police and Alabama Operation Lifesaver teamed up for a safety campaign to remind drivers and cyclists to stop at railroad crossings.
Read more »
Biden repeats dubious 'Joey, baby' Amtrak story in new interviewPresident Biden made a questionable claim during a recent podcast that he learned he traveled over one million miles on Amtrak when he was vice president.
Read more »
Former Penn State star sidelined with heart condition ahead of NFL training campThe shifty and speedy wideout who starred for the Nittany Lions from 2017-2019 is taking a break to address the irritation.
Read more »
Bills continue adding speed to their offense by signing receiver Andy IsabellaThe Buffalo Bills are continuing their offseason trend of stockpiling speedy receivers by signing Andy Isabella on Friday.
Read more »