Overview
- Andy Byford, now Amtrak’s special adviser for the Penn Station transformation, outlined a process in which he will recommend a developer to the Amtrak Board before seeking White House comfort on the selection.
- Amtrak will open the master-developer solicitation on Oct. 31 with a firm expected to be chosen in May as Byford targets shovels in the ground by late 2027.
- The project has no finalized budget and includes a study to maximize capacity within the existing station footprint in anticipation of additional trains after the Gateway Tunnel is completed.
- Byford said he is not fazed by the President’s claim that the Gateway project is terminated and noted he would use a “Trump card” to overcome internal obstruction, while work on the tunnel continues as reimbursements remain on hold.
- Ethics advocates warned that White House sign-off risks politicizing procurement, and Streetsblog reported a donor-linked bidder as a perceived frontrunner.