The head of the Federal Ministry of Transport said Thursday that the Trump administration would take control of the Pennsylvania renovation station far from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
This decision seemed to be the last salvo of a race confrontation between the Trump administration and the New York transport agency, which began when the Federal Transport Secretary Sean Duffy ordered the State to end its pricing program.
The station, one of the most frequented and slandented transit poles in the world, has been at the edge of a huge overhaul to remedy its crazy and dreary corridors for decades. But the competing priorities of local, state and federal stakeholders have made progress difficult.
It was not immediately clear what the vision of the administration might look like for Penn Station. Nor did we know if the administration supports one of the various proposals for the renovation or enlargement of the station.
The Federal Department of Transport said that this decision would save $ 120 million by paying Amtrak in charge of a renovation master plan and possible expansion. One of the biggest obstacles to the renovation of the train hall was the structure at the top of the station: Madison Square Garden, the famous sports arena whose owners have bristled the idea of moving or disturbing the place.
Trump has the last word about the station because it belongs to Amtrak, a company controlled by the federal government. The members of its board of directors are appointed presidential. All current administrators have been appointed by Joe Biden, with the exception of the president, Anthony R. Coscia, appointed by Barack Obama.
A few weeks ago, the White House put pressure on the director general of Amtrak, Stephen Gardner, to resign because of his links with the Biden administration. Mr. Gardner has not been replaced.
The MTA did not receive a prior copy of the letter and was taken over by the announcement. AMTRAK officials did not immediately respond to requests for comments.
