Build Gateway cheaper and faster: Joe Biden must not rely on feckless Amtrak to get the $40B NYC rail job done

Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News
Updated ·2 min read
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When Amtrak Joe Biden comes to the West Side today to tout the railroad’s mega boondoggle Gateway project, it would be nice if he had a check for $39,950,000,000. Yes, that’s the current $40 billion price tag of this monstrosity (as estimated by the Federal Railroad Administration) that won’t add capacity for single additional passenger unless all nine components are constructed. Too bad Biden’s only bringing $292 million today. We’re still $39,658,000,000 short.

And Phase 1 of this multiphase thing — a new tunnel under the Hudson and repairing the old tunnel — won’t be done until 2038, which is why we call it Lateway.

Biden visits New York City Tuesday, announcing the $292M kickoff of a “critical” Hudson River rail tunnel. He was in Baltimore yesterday, cheering on the rebuilding of Amtrak’s ancient Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel. But that only costs $6 billion says the FRA. They could do six new B&P tunnels and still not have enough for Lateway. And that doesn’t include another $7 billion the FRA says is needed for fixing up Penn Station here and billions more for other key improvements, like repairing the LIRR’s East River tubes.

We fully back a new Hudson tunnel and fixing the old one. But if the Sandy-damaged existing tunnel is so at risk, why wait until 2038 for the repairs, when Biden will be 95 and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer will be in his 39th year in the Senate? The tunnel can be completely fixed and rebuilt with entirely modern features immediately using the best methods from overseas, notably London.

Get real on Gateway: Biden and Schumer need to scale it back to get it done

The problem is Amtrak insists on using the same 1910 technology used for the original tunnel. Schumer, who rightly wants to get this done and should be praised for his determination, says that Gov. Hochul and opponents of Amtrak’s plan to rip up the West Side for a new Penn annex should compromise. But it’s Amtrak that won’t compromise.

Biden and Schumer and Hochul can’t be misled by Amtrak, the incompetent railroad that won’t get better no matter how many billions and trillions Congress outlays. To best build Gateway, push Amtrak from the train.