The federal government has announced it will take control of the Penn Station reconstruction project, removing the MTA from leadership. This decision was communicated via a letter to MTA Chair Janno Lieber from Federal Railroad Administration Chief Counsel Kyle Fields. The project will now be overseen by Amtrak, which owns Penn Station. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the MTA’s history of inefficiency necessitated a new approach. Governor Kathy Hochul expressed support for the federal takeover, noting it could save New York taxpayers $1.3 billion. The federal government plans to combine the reconstruction and expansion projects into one grant, led by Amtrak. This move follows a proposal backed by Trump allies to overhaul Penn Station with a neoclassical design.
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