The Trump administration has publicly acknowledged its interest in renaming Pennsylvania Station in New York City, according to a letter from Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy to leaders of three Senate committees dated Wednesday. The communication, which outlined several priorities for the federal Department of Transportation, identified the renaming of Penn Station as an administration goal but did not specify a proposed new name.
The letter comes amid a major renovation initiative for the station, the busiest transportation hub in the United States. The Department of Transportation assumed oversight of the project last year. In May, Amtrak selected a consortium known as Penn Transformation Partners to serve as master developer for the renovation, which carries an estimated price tag of $7 billion to $8 billion.
Duffy’s letter also requested congressional authorization for an additional $1 billion grant to support the design and rebuilding process. Beyond funding efforts, the secretary advocated for changes allowing Amtrak to collect revenue from developers of properties near its stations, instead of developers paying property taxes to local or state governments.
Currently, Penn Station sits beneath Madison Square Garden in Manhattan and is owned by Amtrak, though commuter rail services such as the Long Island Rail Road and NJ Transit constitute the majority of track users. The original Penn Station, a landmark built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1910, was demolished in the early 1960s.
Illustrations released as part of the renovation plan highlight a new grand entrance on Eighth Avenue designed to bring natural light into a redesigned main concourse. These renderings do not indicate a renaming but do include a large engraving bearing President Trump’s name on an interior wall. Andy Byford, Amtrak’s executive managing the project, has said the redevelopment will begin before the end of next year and expressed indifference about any potential name change.
The proposal has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers. Representative Jerrold Nadler of Manhattan characterized the effort as a “hostile takeover” aligned with President Trump’s personal ambitions. He declared opposition to the renaming and demanded transparency on project funding. Senator Chuck Schumer, the New York Democratic minority leader, also criticized the plan, urging a focus on rebuilding the station for commuters rather than renaming it to flatter the president.
In addition to the station renovation priorities, Duffy’s letter called on lawmakers to prioritize motor vehicle travel over bicycle infrastructure. He urged restrictions on funding for bicycle lanes and the removal of existing lanes that he said contribute to traffic congestion.
The Department of Transportation did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the renaming issue or other elements of the letter.