AMTRAK AND NJ TRANSIT ANNOUNCE WORK TO REFRESH TICKETED WAITING AREA AT NEW YORK PENN STATION

Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT customers to experience more modern amenities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jan. 7, 2020

NEW YORK – Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT today began their refresh of the Ticketed Waiting Area at New York Penn Station, the seating area for their customers at the Amtrak Concourse on the Upper Level and 8th Avenue side of the Station. As part of the refresh, customers can expect new furniture and fixtures, including communal tables and seats with electrical and USB outlets to charge devices, an upgraded ceiling complete with new LED lighting, a family area that will also feature a nursing mothers’ pod, the removal of the midpoint barrier, a new information desk and a second entrance offering easy access towards the 7th Avenue side of the Station.

“I am thrilled to see work start on significant improvements to the NJ TRANSIT waiting area at New York Penn Station,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Because of increased cooperation between the State of New Jersey, NJ TRANSIT, and our partners at Amtrak, NJ TRANSIT customers will now have the modern, state of the art, and comfortable facilities at Penn Station that they have deserved for so long.”  

“The journey is the most important part of the adventure at Amtrak, and we are refreshing the Ticketed Waiting Area because that journey begins at the station,” said Amtrak Board Chair Tony Coscia. “We thank our customers, as well as our partners at NJ TRANSIT, for their patience and cooperation as we continue to update New York Penn Station with an improved and more modern experience.”  

“These renovations will improve the commute for customers who travel through Penn Station to New York and surrounding areas,” said New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti. “Projects like these encourage use of NJ TRANSIT’s extensive rail network and underscore our commitment to maintaining safe and comfortable transit facilities for our customers.”  

“NJ TRANSIT customers deserve a better experience at New York Penn Station, and that’s exactly what these improvements will deliver,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett. “Thanks to our renewed partnership, NJ TRANSIT is working closely with Amtrak to put our customers first in every decision we make. Our joint effort to improve the experience at New York Penn Station is a perfect example. These improvements will help reduce overcrowding in the NJ TRANSIT waiting area, improve pedestrian flow through the station, and generally provide for a more comfortable environment for NJ TRANSIT customers using New York Penn Station as an origin or destination.”  

The project, which includes a $7.2 million total joint investment between Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT, will be completed over two phases; the first starts today, Jan.7, and the second is scheduled to start in March, after the first phase is complete. The second phase is expected to be completed in June 2020. There will also be two temporary spaces (one for each phase of the project) to accommodate passengers during the two construction periods. The first will be at the concourse near Tracks 9 and 10, and the second will be near Tracks 13 and 14.  

Amtrak undertook the first steps to refresh the Ticketed Waiting Area in 2019 when it opened a Starbucks coffee bar in the space to provide customers with the opportunity to purchase refreshments and removed the exterior information booth to improve customer flow.  

The Ticketed Waiting Area project is the continuation of several improvements Amtrak has been making to the Station since 2017 as it advances Amtrak’s plan to modernize stations, infrastructure, and trains on the Northeast Corridor. Other completed work to date includes the refreshed restrooms, upgraded air conditioning, new furniture in ClubAcela, and the continued work of the Infrastructure Renewal program.  

About Amtrak®

Amtrak offers a more comfortable and convenient travel experience, plenty of leg room and no middle seat. With our state and commuter partners, we move people, the economy and the nation forward, carrying more than 30 million Amtrak customers for the past nine years. Amtrak operates more than 300 trains daily, connecting more than 500 destinations in 46 states, the District of Columbia and three Canadian Provinces, and reaches 400 additional destinations via connecting bus routes. We are committed to operating a safe, environmentally efficient and fiscally responsible business, which is essential to our future growth. Book travel, check train status, access your eTicket and more through an Amtrak app. Learn more at Amtrak.com.

About NJ TRANSIT

NJ TRANSIT is the nation's largest statewide public transportation system providing more than 925,000 weekday trips on 253 bus routes, three light rail lines, 12 commuter rail lines and through Access Link paratransit service. It is the third largest transit system in the country with 166 rail stations, 62 light rail stations and more than 19,000 bus stops linking major points in New Jersey, New York and Philadelphia.