Trump Administration Kicks Off Master Developer Search for Penn Station

The Trump administration is initiating the Pennsylvania Station redevelopment as it begins its search for a master developer.

Amtrak special adviser Andy Byford, of “Train Daddy” fame, said Amtrak has opened an online portal for development firms to pitch their vision for the nation’s busiest transit hub, but offered few details on what federal officials are looking for conceptually.

The federal transit agency also announced that KPMG would act as financial adviser for the project, while engineering firm AKRF will manage the environmental review process, as they grapple with the task of restoring some of the former glory to Penn Station.

These companies will aid Amtrak in developing a strategy to attract private investment, streamlining approvals and evaluating the solutions put forth by the applicants.

“This will be one of the biggest and most significant construction projects in U.S. history, and we want the most skilled and knowledgeable partners to help make it a success,” Byford said in a statement. “By working with the private sector, we will be working with advisers who focus on the project’s goals while minimizing costs for taxpayers.”

Amtrak will likely begin reviewing applications in the spring of 2026, and a winner will be chosen by Byford and approved by President Donald Trump and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The goal is to have shovels in the ground by 2027.

How much the redevelopment will cost and what Amtrak’s capital stack will look like has not yet come into focus, as those factors will depend on the proposal that is ultimately selected, and whether they include removing Madison Square Garden — long viewed as a major hindrance to reconstruction — from the equation.

“We’re rebuilding Penn Station on Trump Time, and we are tapping our partners in the private sector to make it happen on time and on budget,” Duffy said in a statement. “Under President Trump, USDOT is cutting through the red tape to meet our ambitious timeline, and I’m confident we’ll bring together the greatest minds to create an unmatched symbol of American architecture and infrastructure for visitors and daily commuters to enjoy for decades to come.”

Amtrak will also conduct a service optimization study, implying that the Trump administration will consider through-running trains from New Jersey to Long Island, something the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has ruled out as a possibility during its time trying to beautify the station despite longtime pressure from transit activists.

The most the MTA was able to accomplish in that time was raising ceiling heights and installing a grand entrance to the Long Island Rail Road concourse, as well as major service improvements following the 2017 “summer of hell” when Penn Station was undergoing track upgrades while the subways were in crisis due to widespread signal malfunctions.

In April, the federal government took control of the station’s rebuild, much to the delight of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Mark Hallum can be reached at mhallum@commercialobserver.com.