Plan ahead to avoid Penn Station madness
A little trouble for better service down the road, Amtrak says
Travelers and commuters who use Penn Station might worry that Amtrak’s $40 million track replacement project will leave them unable to understand a maze of alternate routes and — ultimately — stranded.
But a little perseverance at studying the changes and a little patience should make the detours easier to grasp than neighborhood acronyms like NoMad or NoLIta.
Penn Station, located on the west side of Manhattan, is the busiest railroad station in the country, with 650,000 commuter and longdistance passengers daily.
Amtrak is replacing the section — called the interlock — that allows 1,300 trains to navigate daily among the station’s 21 tracks.
Transit authorities hope the repairs will reduce the breakdowns that have caused frequent delays and service suspensions.
A New Jersey Transit train derailed at the station July 6, another derailed April 3 with four injuries, and an Amtrak train derailed March 24 after scraping a transit train.
“This work, along with other station improvements, will ensure that commuters and travelers alike can count on more reliable rail service in the future,” said Wick Moorman, Amtrak’s CEO.
During the project, frequent routes will in some cases be less frequent. Commuters used to being shuttled into the heart of Manhattan will have to learn how to get there from hubs in Brooklyn, Queens or Hoboken, N.J.
Officials say that with a little planning ahead and some pa- tience, travel need not be a headache. Here are some tips:
uGet to know Grand Central Station, Penn Station’s cousin on the East Side of Manhattan. Those traveling often to Albany, New York’s state capital, will pass through here rather than through Penn Station. Like Penn Station, it’s easy to reach and has lots of restaurants and shopping. Five subway lines stop through Grand Central as well as Metro-North commuter railroad, comparable to the six subway lines that pass through Penn Station.
uLong Islanders may use this as an opportunity to get to know the subway. Many New York City residents say the subway, while not perfect, is the best way to get around one of the largest cities in the world. Long Island Rail Road tickets will be honored on the subways during morning rush. Many lines that typically have taken commuters right to Penn Station will only take them as far as Jamaica, Queens, or Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn.
uAmtrak travelers on a budget will have to let go of the notion that they can find a train headed to Washington any time of the day or evening. Northeast Regional, non-Acela trains will run less often.
uCommuters from Morris or Essex counties in northern New Jersey will have to set aside more time for their commutes, with their routes being detoured to ferries, buses and Port Authority Trans-Hudson trains. New Jersey Transit has published a Rider Guide to help commuters navigate the madness.