Call to Reevaluate Construction Plans on East River Tunnels

Governor Kathy Hochul today called on Amtrak to reevaluate its plan to fully shut down the East River Tunnels as it undertakes its latest rehabilitation project and consider shifting instead to a ‘repair in place’ method — with construction happening during nights and weekends — to maintain normal train schedules. The Governor’s announcement comes on the heels of news that Amtrak plans to temporarily delay the tunnel closure while maintaining service cuts that disproportionately impact Empire Service riders. In a letter to Amtrak, Governor Hochul urged the company to re-examine its plans and take innovative steps to mitigate impact to passengers.

“While I continue to be supportive of the efforts to rehabilitate the East River Tunnels, the decision to maintain service cuts amidst this latest delay — and backtracking on public commitments to increase capacity during the shutdown — shows a disregard for Empire Service passengers,” Governor Hochul said. “Enough is enough. It’s far past time for Amtrak to put its passengers first, take a hard look at its construction plans and ensure access to reliable train travel throughout this key corridor.”

Empire Service is supported by the New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) and carried more than two million passengers in FY 2024, setting all-time records for ridership and revenue. Last year, Amtrak announced the decision to reduce service by two daily round trips between Albany and New York City and implemented additional operational modifications to the Maple Leaf and Adirondack lines while it undertakes a rehabilitation of the East River Tunnels (ERT) which flooded during Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

Governor Hochul has expressed support for the project and its aim to address a state-of-good repair backlog on the Northeast Corridor, but has been vocal in her opposition to plans that have caused Empire Service trains to receive a disproportionate share of impacts to schedules. That opposition led to an agreement between Amtrak and the NYSDOT for the restoration of nearly all of the trains that had been temporarily suspended in advance of the tunnel closure. Part of the agreement included a commitment to add additional coach cars to other Empire Service trains in order to further mitigate the disruption to passengers. Amtrak has since cast doubt on that commitment in order to redistribute rolling stock while Horizon fleet passenger cars are removed from service to address corrosion issues. Governor Hochul has also expressed concern that significant risks to Long Island Rail Road service posed by a total shutdown remain unaddressed.

With Amtrak soon to be under new leadership, New York State believes now is the time for the planned ERT shutdown to be thoroughly re-examined. There is ample local and international precedent for the ‘repair in place’ method, which could simultaneously permit maintaining existing daytime trips while reducing the risk of major service disruptions.

New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, “With the onset of the spring and summer travel seasons, it’s imperative that New Yorkers have convenient and reliable passenger rail service to help them get where they want and need to go. I join with Governor Hochul in urging Amtrak to put passengers first and re-think their planned service reductions, which unfairly impact Empire Service riders. The rehabilitation of the East River Tunnels is a needed and important project, and we want to continue to work with Amtrak to find a way to do this work without inflicting unnecessary burdens on New Yorkers.”