NEW YORK (AP) — Amtrak and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority have announced a deal to move forward on two key rail projects in the New York region. Both credit Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer for his role in getting a $30 billion federal rail account included in the recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill. The money will help Amtrak commit $500 million toward upgrading rail lines north of Manhattan to allow trains from the northern suburbs that currently go to Grand Central Terminal to also go to Penn Station on Manhattan’s west side. In exchange, the MTA will put $432 million toward rehabilitating Amtrak-owned tunnels under the East River that were damaged by Superstorm Sandy and are used by Long Island Rail Road and Amtrak trains.
Photo: Travelers wait for boarding instructions at Amtrak’s Penn Station, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, in New York. Amtrak requires passengers to wear masks in the train stations and while riding the trains. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
