President Donald Trump's team has dropped a bombshell, offering to revive federal funding for the stalled Gateway tunnel project under one condition: renaming Penn Station and Washington Dulles International Airport after him. In exchange, Schumer-led Democrats are willing to agree to this unprecedented move.
According to sources close to the negotiations, Schumer is pushing for a deal to save the $16 billion mega-project, which aims to construct new train tunnels beneath the Hudson River. Trump's team sees an opportunity to build a legacy-defining train station in his hometown of New York City. The federal government took control of the Penn Station project from the MTA last year and is now planning to overhaul the dark, dingy facility as soon as 2027.
The Gateway tunnel project and Penn Station overhaul are intricately linked. The new Hudson River tunnels will serve the station, but even with these improvements, capacity won't change. To handle more train traffic, renovations or a "through-running" system would be needed โ something Trump's administration has promoted under Byford's leadership.
Notably, Gov. Kathy Hochul expressed openness to renaming Penn Station after Trump if he invested $7 billion in the project. This is a significant concession from Schumer's camp, which seems willing to make concessions to save the project.
This deal appears to be a trade-off, with Schumer stopping funding for the Gateway tunnel project and Trump restarting it with a simple gesture of his fingers. However, some have questioned the fairness of this arrangement, given Trump's history with infrastructure projects.
As negotiations continue, the fate of Penn Station hangs in the balance. Will Schumer-led Democrats agree to Trump's demands, or will they hold out for other concessions? The outcome could have significant implications for New York City and its commuters.
According to sources close to the negotiations, Schumer is pushing for a deal to save the $16 billion mega-project, which aims to construct new train tunnels beneath the Hudson River. Trump's team sees an opportunity to build a legacy-defining train station in his hometown of New York City. The federal government took control of the Penn Station project from the MTA last year and is now planning to overhaul the dark, dingy facility as soon as 2027.
The Gateway tunnel project and Penn Station overhaul are intricately linked. The new Hudson River tunnels will serve the station, but even with these improvements, capacity won't change. To handle more train traffic, renovations or a "through-running" system would be needed โ something Trump's administration has promoted under Byford's leadership.
Notably, Gov. Kathy Hochul expressed openness to renaming Penn Station after Trump if he invested $7 billion in the project. This is a significant concession from Schumer's camp, which seems willing to make concessions to save the project.
This deal appears to be a trade-off, with Schumer stopping funding for the Gateway tunnel project and Trump restarting it with a simple gesture of his fingers. However, some have questioned the fairness of this arrangement, given Trump's history with infrastructure projects.
As negotiations continue, the fate of Penn Station hangs in the balance. Will Schumer-led Democrats agree to Trump's demands, or will they hold out for other concessions? The outcome could have significant implications for New York City and its commuters.