Amtrak’s boondoggle is now going to cost $42 billion

Last November, the Biden Federal Railroad Administration said that the nine components of Amtrak’s Gateway boondoggle would cost $40 billion, which didn’t include another $7 billion for fixing Penn Station. Less than a year later, Gateway is now composed of 10 parts costing $42 billion (and also doesn’t include Penn renovations).

Gateway’s centerpiece, a needed new Hudson rail tunnel, was pegged in the fall at $16.1 billion, which also would cover $1.8 billion in repairs to the old 1910 tubes, as well building the final concrete casing under Hudson Yards at $884 million.

That casing job has now been severed from the tunnel project, creating the 10th Gateway piece and lowering the tunnel price by close to $1 billion. Yet, in numbers released yesterday by the Federal Transit Administration, the tunnel is now listed at $17.2 billion, pushing the full tab up by $2 billion, and the grand total to $42 billion.

On Halloween, the bistate Gateway Development Commission asked the feds for $6.65 billion, with New York, New Jersey and Amtrak paying the balance. But as the price went these past few months, GDC amended their request from Washington to $7.4 billion, up three quarters of a billion dollars.

And even though the FTA couldn’t be friendlier to New York and New Jersey these days, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pushing hard, in what is called an engineering letter (which both GDC and the FTA are refusing to release, requiring the Daily News to file legally enforceable Freedom of Information requests), the FTA says that absolute maximum that the tunnel can get is $6.88 billion.

As we’ve long said, the new tunnel should be slimmed down; there is no need for expensive bench walls to enclose cables or a walkway for passengers. The tunnel should also go to Penn Station, not Amtrak’s hoped for $11 billion annex south of 31st St. on Block 780. They must also save money and time by repairing the old tubes now during nights and weekends.

Spending $42 billion is far too much. Put Gateway on a diet.

The Daily News Flash

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