MTA - PSA Newsletter 17 (September 2026)

 

Welcome to the Penn Station Access quarterly newsletter. MTA’s Penn Station Access Project will bolster equity, regional connectivity, and reliability by upgrading Amtrak’s existing Hell Gate Line and providing four new accessible Metro North stations in the East Bronx with service to New York Penn Station. For past newsletter issues, click here. For updates on specific areas along the project corridor where work will take place, sign up here. See the latest MTA project schedule announcement here.

Para obtener más información sobre los hitos recientes del proyecto y el trabajo próximo, haga clic aqui.

Morris Park steel installation, August 2026

PSA Progress

Summer may be winding down but momentum is building across the project corridor! At Morris Park, one of the summer’s most important milestones started on August 3rd, when steel installation for the southern station entrance began. Steel installation for the south entrance will wrap up in mid-September and will be followed by drilling for the elevator piston and concrete masonry unit (CMU) installation.  

At Parkchester/Van Nest station, the station platform is taking shape: utilities are currently being placed under the platform in anticipation of the pre-cast concrete deck panels delivery and installation. These panels form the platform deck, from which future riders will board the train.

At Hunts Point, north entrance construction continues with utility, sidewalk and foundation work. Nearby, construction is beginning on Oak Substation, the first of two new traction power substations that will provide the additional power needed to support future Penn Station Access service.

On the track front, work continues along the full length of the corridor. In August, the project entered CTO 6, the next long-term track outage. These crucial outages allow crews to advance track, structural and systems work throughout the corridor while maintaining safe rail operations. A key objective of this outage is commissioning Bronx Interlocking and placing it into service. Eastchester Bridge Track 1 replacement also kicked off in August, which includes phased demolition and reconstruction of the bridge over Eastchester Road while maintaining traffic through a series of carefully staged roadway configurations.

New Rochelle Yard retaining wall construction, August 2026

Did You Know?

The Penn Station Access project limits stretch all the way to New Rochelle, the point where Metro-North’s New Haven Line diverges onto Amtrak’s Hell Gate Line toward Penn Station. That’s why you’ll see PSA crews at work well beyond the four new Bronx stations, including the rehabilitation and expansion of the New Rochelle Yard. Future riders will transfer at New Rochelle station to access trains traveling to Penn Station and north to New Haven. Clearing and grading has been completed at the New Rochelle Yard, and construction of the retaining wall is underway.

Parkchester/Van Nest Station, May 2026

Upcoming Activities

At Parkchester/Van Nest station, crews are continuing utility work as well as preparing the station’s back-of-house areas for equipment installation. Work on the station’s exterior walls is expected to begin this fall. The concrete platform panels are still on track to be installed this November, followed by the    remaining steel framework through early 2027.

At Morris Park station, steel installation for the south entrance will continue through mid-September after which crews will begin elevator drilling and concrete work. At the north entrance, site preparation is ongoing with structural steel work planned for early 2027.

At Hunts Point, underground work is nearing completion; the project will continue preparing for platform construction, which is currently anticipated to begin in late 2027.

At Co-op City, steel for the west entrance is currently being fabricated off-site. Once signal power cables are relocated, the steel will be delivered and installed, which is anticipated later this fall and into the winter.  

Al Placito at steMTA event, February 2026

Meet the Team: Al Placito

Al Placito is the general superintendent on the Penn Station Access project. He has been in the construction industry since 2009, after completing his degree in civil engineering at Manhattan College. Before joining the Penn Station Access project, he worked on various bridge construction projects, including on elements of the Whitestone Bridge, Alexander Hamilton Bridge, and Patroon Island Bridge, before transitioning to more rail-centric quests including the historic MTA Third Track project, and Grand Concourse and Pitkin Yard Upgrades projects. In his current role as general superintendent, Al is involved in nearly every aspect of the project, including workforce deployment - making sure crews know where to be and what to work on - and coordination between the project teams, agencies, laborers, and the public. Al has made appearances at several of our steMTA events to engage with young learners speaking about engineering and the construction of the Penn Station Access project. Al is very excited to get started on the New Rochelle Yard expansion, noting “this is a major milestone for the project, we will have more work for our crews, and we can continue to develop our great partnership with Metro North.” Outside of work, Al spends all his time with his 3-year-old and 5-month-old daughters. “It’s full time here and full time there,” he shared, smiling proudly.    

Bronx National Night Out, August 2026

Community Corner

The PSA Outreach team stayed busy this summer connecting with communities across the corridor! At Jefferson Elementary in New Rochelle, the team hosted a steMTA event that welcomed more than 200 students, running two sessions throughout the day to reach as many young learners as possible, including one session conducted in Spanish and one tailored for special education students. Hands-on activities brought the engineering behind the project to life, and the day even ended with a new record: a toothpick and Play-Doh bridge supporting 53 marbles! The team also joined neighborhoods across the Bronx for National Night Out on August 4, tabling at NYPD 41st, 43rd and 49th Precincts, to share project updates and connect with residents around the Bronx.

Contact Us

Web: mta.info/project/penn-station-access

Email: PSAOutreach@mtacd.org | Hotline: 347-263-7837