Corner of 34th St. & 8th Ave, Exterior of Moynihan Train Hall
To start 2021 on the proper track, New York’s Moynihan Train Hall opened its doors for Amtrak, New Jersey Transit, and Long Island Railroad riders. Located in the Farley Post Office Building on 34th and 8th, it lies across the street from Madison Square Garden, where once the mighty, old Penn Station stood until it was demolished in 1963, and its platforms went underground. In early January, I went down to see the new Hall and to see it first-hand.
It was truly a unique experience to see a Train Hall of this magnitude not packed with commuters; the COVID-19 pandemic has cut train traffic in 2020 to almost half of its 2019 ridership count. So, walking through its corridors, seeing where the new Food Hall will be located, then entering the main hall – it felt like I was Harry Potter in The Deathly Hallows, walking along the platforms of King’s Cross (but cleaner). The Main Hall is over 250,000 square feet, with a glass ceiling over 90 feet tall, sitting in the center is a Gothic clock, which will one day tell thousands of riders when their train will leave. Clean signs point to the 17-accessible tracks. The structure itself is a work of art, but as you turn a corner, or look up at a ceiling, you will see fabulous works of art. If you can, you should check it out for yourself.
The Main Hall with the Headhouse Clock hanging from the glass ceiling
While grand, the new Train Hall has been met with several issues that may hinder its operation. To start, the Hall itself has very little to no seating for waiting passengers, hindering elderly or disabled passengers from waiting in the Hall. The second point is not just directed at the Hall itself, but the overall rail infrastructure of the US. The Hall has access to only 17 of the 21 tracks that make Penn Station; the southernmost four are operated by New Jersey Transit. Amtrak riders only account for about 5% of total train riders who used Penn Station before the Pandemic. To allow more Amtrak riders to use the station, and for NJT riders to have access to the station, Penn Station needs new platforms that can connect to new tunnels under the Hudson River, part of the larger Gateway project. For all of its beauty, the full utility of Moynihan has not been reached, yet.
Yet. Yet because what the Train Hall means is that New York is ready to embark on a 21st Century revitalization of its overall transit systems. The Hall may be mostly aesthetic, but before, there were only a couple of signs by Madison Square Garden that would show how to access the platform. Underground, there is no natural light that makes the station an inviting place. Travelers will now have, truly, a brighter place to board. And hopefully, this $1.6 billion investment is not the last of its kind. A new Port Authority Bus Terminal is expected to be opened in 2030 that is projected to expand bus ridership by 30%. The final stages of the rebuilt La Guardia Airport are almost complete. Moynihan is a push in the right direction and, hopefully, it will spur the creation of more platforms and a true Gateway project. If New York is to complete this transformation, it must continue to adhere to its motto: Excelsior.
Photos by: Charley Cohen
Very interesting article. I didn’t know they even opened Moynihan Hall.
Loved the pictures