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New York Penn Station

By Peggy Darlington

New York Penn Station is currently owned by Amtrak and shared with NJT and LIRR.   Tracks 1-12 are shared between NJT and Amtrak and Tracks 13-16 and sometimes 17 are shared by NJT, LIRR, and Amtrak while LIRR has exclusive use of 18-21.

The Station has Island platforms, odd numbered track to the South.)

Track 17 is unusual in that while it shares an island platform with track 18 , in practice only track 17 is used for that platform due to an extremely wide gap at Track 18.

 The parade of platforms resumes with the even track being on the South rather than the odd track which was used for tracks 1-16 and track 17.

LIRR has their own waiting room and has renovated the North portion of the lower level. Leaving Penn, four tracks continue to Queens. NJT has also built a station within a station on the Seventh Avenue side. This area can be accessed from the upper or lower level and also has a small intermediate level connecting the two levels. NJT has plans for another waiting area to the south of the central corridor used for LIRR exit to be called the "Central Concourse" along with renovation of the "Hilton Corridor" which is between tracks 11-12 and 13-14 and connects the Eighth Avenue end with the IRT South lower mezzanine.  LIRR also has a small exit area West of Eighth Avenue which accesses tracks 13-19 only and is to the West of the Eighth Avenue subway and requires passing through the lower IND mezzanine to access the main part of Penn Station.

Periodic discussions call for a new Penn  Station to be located in the Farley Post Office across Eighth Avenue (Moynihan Station). It remains to be seen if it will be built. If built  NJT has expressed interest in using this space which would include longer platforms and more retail space.

NJT also has plans for two more tracks under the Hudson (diverging after Secaucus). Trains would be able to use the current or new tracks to access Penn or the new proposed 34^th Street Station. This new station would be under 34^th Street and have two track levels. The upper level would have 4 tracks and the lower level would have two tracks with space for two more. The upper level will have two separate island platforms and the lower one island platform (North side). This new station will connect to Penn. Also planned are an extension of the LIRR West End Concourse, the LIRR Central Concourse- both will also serve tracks 1-12 as well as the new tracks. For more information see www.acesstotheregionscore.com.