Rail Passengers Continue Push for Right-Sized Hudson River Tunnels

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (#10-13)

November 5, 2010

Contacts: Ross Capon and Sean Jeans-Gail – 202-408-8362 [Capon cell 301-385-6438]

Rail Passengers Continue Push for Right-Sized Hudson River Tunnels

The National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) remains committed to construction of new Hudson River rail tunnels notwithstanding New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s cancellation of the “Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) Mass Transit Tunnel” project.  A “right-sized” tunnel project should go to Penn Station and should serve both commuter and intercity trains.

NARP Vice Chair Albert L. Papp Jr. said, “We are appalled at public statements by some, including Dr. James Hughes of Rutgers, suggesting new tunnels are not needed.  They are desperately needed both for redundancy which assures reliable service and to handle future growth.  Today, there is no room for growth, and there are major delays whenever a problem closes one of the tunnels.  Indeed, for the foreseeable future, weekend train operations are confined to one tunnel while the other undergoes routine maintenance.”

Papp continued, “Of equal importance is completion of the planned north bridge over the Hackensack River on the Northeast Corridor between New York and Newark.  This would replace a century-old, unreliable swing bridge with a 60 mph speed limit that could be reduced further.  This part of the ‘Portal Bridge Capacity Enhancement Project’ is well advanced and ready for construction within the next two years.

“We are concerned that New Jersey Transit has not executed the agreement needed to begin final design on Portal north, even though $38.5 million in federal Recovery Act funds for this work was awarded January 28.”

NARP will continue to press for adoption of “Moynihan/Penn Station First,” which would send the new tunnels into New York’s Penn Station, eliminate the planned 34th Street Terminal, and provide necessary Penn Station track capacity enhancements.

Governor Christie has acknowledged the importance of a link between new tunnels and Penn Station, and the ability of such a link to make the project eligible for high speed rail funds.  His October 27 statement noted that lack of a connection to Penn Station “has been one of the problems with the project from the beginning.”

Accordingly, the Association encourages Amtrak and New Jersey Transit to continue to work together to identify ways to efficiently address capacity and reliability issues, benefiting riders on both railroads.  NARP in the past has endorsed a track link between Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal, part of Alternative G in the project’s 2003 Major Investment Study.

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