Amtrak is set to make significant changes to its routes through the Hudson Valley starting November 11th, due to major rehabilitation work on the East River Tunnels in New York City. The changes will impact travel from the Hudson Valley to New York City, with multiple daily trips being eliminated. The rehabilitation project, awarded to a Skanska E-J ERT Joint Venture, aims to fully modernize the 114-year-old tunnel tubes that were damaged by Superstorm Sandy.
The East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project will involve demolishing all existing tunnel systems down to the liner, before completely restoring both tubes that were damaged in 2012. During the project, one tube will be closed at a time, minimizing service impacts while maximizing track access for construction. The overall project is expected to last approximately three years, according to Amtrak's official announcement.
Due to the construction work, there will be limits on the number of Amtrak passenger trains that can travel back and forth from the maintenance/overnight yards in Queens to the Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station Manhattan. This has led to concerns that the Hudson Valley will bear the brunt of the service reductions. Steve Strauss, executive director of the Empire State Passengers Association, stated that "too much of the burden is being placed on the Hudson Valley riders," as reported by Mass Transit Magazine.
Amtrak has stated that it is working to limit any service impacts and will communicate any changes in advance. The company plans to maintain the vast majority of service, with slight schedule changes for Northeast Regional and Acela trains, as well as modifications to some Long Distance and State Supported services.