N.J. senators, Amtrak official to announce new commuter train tunnel project across the Hudson

[Viva_La_Revolution]

Source: The Star-Ledger

Amtrak’s top executive and New Jersey’s two U.S. senators Monday are expected to announce an alternative to the Hudson River commuter-train tunnel that was killed by Gov. Chris Christie in October.

The "Gateway" tunnel proposed by Amtrak would largely follow the same footprint as the canceled nine-mile Access to the Region’s Core tunnel from Secaucus to New York City, but connect to new tracks in an expanded New York Penn Station instead of dead-ending deep under West 34th Street, representatives for U.S. Sens. Frank Lautenberg and Robert Menendez said tonight.

Detractors referred to ARC as the "tunnel to Macy’s basement" for its proximity to the landmark department store and supposed lack of connectivity to other transit hubs in Manhattan.

Read more: http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/nj_senators_to_announce_new_co.html

[msanthrope]

1. Awesome--so the feds and the 2 Dem Senators will bring the jobs. Good move. n/t

[DesertFlower]

2. great. nt

[eppur_se_muova]

3. Does this mean Christie won't have to repay the funding for the first project?

I'll bet that funding will just be redirected to the new plan, letting Christie look like a tough budget-cutter to his base while largely being spared the consequences with the larger electorate.

[FromNY]

4. Connecting to existing tracks should have been a requirement

If you can connect to existing tracks at Penn Station can you then theoretically get to Long Island?

Reason I ask is that if done right, perhaps rail freight can move on these tracks at night, lessening truck congestion.

[Dark]

5. Good on the Dems, but Christie will take credit. And he'll probably get it

:(