Passenger Trains > NY: East Bronx Commuter / Penn Station Access

Adding new Metro North rail stations along the Amtrak line between NY Penn Station and New Rochelle was a major project for former Governor Andrew Cuomo. Based on recent updates, that project may now be completed in 2030, a change from the previous 2027 due date.

Metro North blames much of the delay on Amtrak and cites many examples of Amtrak's unwillingness to cooperate. Among them, only 2 of 10 promised work windows were honored in one phase. Only 5 of 38 promised weekend shutdowns were done. Reasons included nobody available to de-energize the electrical system, or flag for trains. The biggest reason was an inability to staff projects on Amtrak's side. Few civil engineers were assigned to review complicated documents, many requests were not answered.  One interlocking intended to facilitate single track operation was delayed by 17 months (LEGGET) from the schedule. On 98 days Amtrak did not provide a foreman, on 77 days a flagger was not available. So work was not done on the Metro North side. The update is chock full of reasons why the work didn't progress in a timely manner.

The report notes that Amtrak's failure to provide flaggers or honor work windows had repercussions on Amtrak. In many cases Amtrak trains or schedules were adjusted for the work windows that never happened. Trains waited for time on the single track, even though the "out of service" track was open for business.

I'm sure Amtrak has its own response citing Metro North incompetence or delays, but this certainly doesn't look good.

https://www.mta.info/document/190226

I wonder why Amtrak would choose to be "Uncooperative".

Metro=North is claiming Amtrak refuses to furnish staffing --- at least, I think
that's what they are saying (?)

Anyway, this project started in 2022-- so if not completed until 2030 -- 8 long years
will have passed.

No wonder these projects cost so much -- if you have to include 8 years of inflation.

Is Amtrak being compensated to hire additional workers? If not then sorry MTA, you get the workforce you (don't) pay for. I can see human resources for the Hellgate Line being extremely limited what withthe work going on around HAROLD and the East River Tunnels. The NYC labour market is pretty tight and if its difficult for Amtrak to shed unionized workers, taking them on for a limited time project could be a cost Amtrak isn't willing to bear.

 

mbrotzman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Is Amtrak being compensated to hire additional
> workers? If not then sorry MTA, you get the
> workforce you (don't) pay for. I can see human
> resources for the Hellgate Line being extremely
> limited what withthe work going on around HAROLD
> and the East River Tunnels. The NYC labour market
> is pretty tight and if its difficult for Amtrak to
> shed unionized workers, taking them on for a
> limited time project could be a cost Amtrak isn't
> willing to bear.
>
>  
Yes.  The Metro North position is their agreements with Amtrak had Amtrak providing staffing for flaggers, electricians, etc. Nothing in their statement specified who was paying for it.