Resolution Favoring Creation of a NY City Penn-Grand Central Stations Rail Connection

RESOLUTION FAVORING CREATION OF A NEW YORK CITY PENNSYLVANIA STATION - GRAND CENTRAL TERMINAL TUNNEL SHELL AND FUTURE FIXED RAIL CONNECTION

Whereas, the continued economic competitiveness, financial stability and job growth of the New York, New Jersey, Connecticut tri-state metropolitan area within the nation and within the world is dependent on frequent, affordable, accessible and convenient regional and intercity rail services; and

Whereas, the future world wide availability and cost of petroleum-based motor fuels is uncertain, as oil is subject to depletion, political instability, and natural disturbances, disruptions and calamities; and

Whereas, increasing roadway and airway congestion threaten the economic well being of the tri-state region and promote further environmental degradation and a decrease in the quality of life; and  

Whereas, two major, deep level, underground railroad construction projects will be constructed in the near future - a new station under 34th Street, adjacent to New York Pennsylvania Station (NYP), as part of New Jersey Transit’s Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) project; and a new station beneath the lower level of Grand Central Terminal (GCT), as part of the Long Island Rail Road’s long-planned connection to GCT through the 63rd Street East River tunnel; and

Whereas, there is currently no railroad link between New York City’s two major stations: Pennsylvania Station and Grand Central Terminal; and

Whereas, the ARC 34th Street tracks will extend eastward to the vicinity of Fifth Avenue, and the ESA tracks will extend southward under Park Avenue to the vicinity of 38th - 39th Streets; and

Whereas, a once in a hundred year opportunity exists to physically connect the tracks of the two projects which are only 1,800 feet apart; and

Whereas, the incremental cost of using Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) from the two, near-term projects to create tunnel shells over the remaining 1,800 feet to forge a direct NYP - GCT railroad link is estimated at between $200 million to $300 million dollars,
and is far less than the cost if the tunneling equipment was removed and reinserted at some later time specifically for the link; and

Whereas, creation of such a link would significantly enhance the quality and competitiveness of regional and intercity rail passenger service by providing additional transportation choices to millions of citizens in the tri-state metropolitan area; and

Whereas, the cited additional construction price would encompass tunnel shells (without track, electrification, signaling and lighting) for four connecting tracks between the vicinity of Grand Central and Pennsylvania Stations.

Therefore, be it resolved that the Board of Directors of the National Association of Railroad Passengers (NARP) strongly supports the cost-effective creation of the NYP - GCT tunnel shells as part of the near-term ARC and ESA projects; and

Be it further resolved that the Board encourages New Jersey Transit, as lead agency for ARC, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, as lead agency for ESA, to investigate, examine, discuss, plan, and proactively cooperate in a collegial manner to make a tunnel shell between Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal a reality as part of the building of the ARC and ESA projects; and

Be it further resolved that this resolution have the widest possible distribution to include, but not be limited to, the Governors, Senators, Representatives, state legislative bodies and the Departments of Transportation of the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) as well as major print and electronic news media in the tri-state metropolitan region.

Approved by the NARP Executive Committee May 17, 2007, acting on behalf of the intent expressed by the full NARP Board of Directors at its May 3, 2007 meeting.