Bronx elected officials are expressing frustration with delays in constructing the four new Metro-North stations on the borough’s east side, which will reportedly not be completed until 2028 at the earliest.
New stations are slated for Parkchester/Van Nest, Hunts Point, Morris Park and Co-op City, covering East Bronx neighborhoods that are considered transit deserts.
The megaproject is expected to create one-seat rides from the East Bronx to Penn Station, Westchester County and Connecticut, cutting current travel time to Penn Station by 50 minutes, creating new ADA-accessible stations and bringing 500,000 residents within one mile of rail service.
However, the massive project, which was initially expected to be completed in 2027, is now delayed for a third time after breaking ground in 2022.
US Rep. George Latimer, who represents Westchester County and a small portion of the northeast Bronx, sent a July 24 letter to Amtrak President Roger Harris that seemed to blame Amtrak for the slow progress, not the MTA, which is leading the project.
Latimer said Amtrak owns the Hell Gate line used by the new project and appears not to be performing enough weekend outages to keep construction on time.
“I respectfully request Amtrak provide information concerning their role in these additional delays and outline strategies to streamline the construction process as well as what federal resources would be required to accelerate completion to 2027,” said Latimer in the letter.
He called for a briefing with Amtrak to discuss how to “recover lost time” in the process. “This project is urgently needed for New Yorkers and Bronx residents.”
Amtrak officials said they share those concerns.
“There are many reasons for the delays to the project — not all belonging to Amtrak,” said W. Kyle Anderson, senior public relations manager, in a statement sent to the Bronx Times. “Nevertheless, we are aligned with MTA to deliver the new stations and associated infrastructure for this service to the residents and visitors of the Bronx as soon as possible.”
Anderson said Amtrak has “deployed numerous mitigations to support this MTA-led project,” such as track outages and increasing its crews. “We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the MTA to advance one of the most logistically challenging projects on the Northeast Corridor.”
The cost of delays
The Metro-North expansion is significant not only for improved rail service connectivity but for the local benefits set to accompany it.
The project will result in 7,000 new housing units near the Parkchester and Morris Park stations, along with approximately $500 million in improvements to local infrastructure, including sewers, street safety, schools, green spaces and more.
Delays to this ongoing work could prove costly, especially in light of projected federal budget cuts to Amtrak, said Latimer in his letter.
Amtrak previously committed to paying delay costs if unable to meet its labor and outage commitments, he said. But the rail service is facing a 25% cut in federal funding for fiscal year 2026, and further delays “could have compounding consequences on the fiscal sustainability of the project for Amtrak and costs to the MTA,” said Latimer.
Amid the delays, MTA officials appeared to suggest a lack of communication between the parties involved.
An MTA spokesperson told the Bronx Times that they “haven’t received any new updates” after the delays were discussed at a July 2024 meeting of the MTA Board’s Capital Program Committee.
Information shared at the meeting reported that after a delayed start due to “challenges with railroad partners” as construction began in 2023, “the project schedule remains at risk.”
“Amtrak owns the Hell Gate line and must approve work and provide personnel to support all track outages and work conducted along the right of way,” the information said.
Other Bronx elected officials joined Latimer in voicing frustration over the slow progress.
In a statement, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson called the situation “absolutely unacceptable and cause for concern.”
“This plan is a once-in-a-generation investment that will finally deliver the transit access, good-paying union jobs, and economic growth the East Bronx has been denied for far too long,” Gibson. Residents “deserve nothing less than all of us working together to move this project forward without further setbacks,” she said.
Assembly Member Michael Benedetto, who represents the Throggs Neck area, echoed Gibson’s concerns.
He said in a statement that his constituents have been waiting more than a decade for transit improvements and implored Amtrak to “come to the table” with the MTA and Metro-North to remedy the situation.
Council Member Kevin Riley, who represents Co-op City, emphasized the project’s potential to right the wrongs of the past.
“Expanding Metro-North access in the Bronx is not just a transit issue, it’s a matter of economic and social equity,” he said in a statement. “We stand with Congressman Latimer in calling for accountability and urgency from Amtrak to deliver the infrastructure our residents were promised.”
Reach Emily Swanson at eswanson@schnepsmedia.com or (646) 717-0015. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
