Owned by Amtrak and used as well by MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and New Jersey Transit, with connections to six (6) MTA New York City Transit subway lines, Penn Station is the busiest transit hub in North America. Every day, more than 630,000 riders passed through Penn Station, making it the busiest transportation facility in the Western Hemisphere. The LIRR portion of Penn Station (the LIRR Train Hall) by itself is one of the nation’s busiest train stations, accommodating up to 250,000 daily trips on more than 450 daily trains, including more than 33,000 arriving customers in the peak hour. This scale of activity underscores Penn Station’s importance as a vital link in the region’s rail network.
Designed in the 1960s when the total daily Penn Station passenger volume was less than one third of today’s volume, the LIRR facility in Penn Station required updates and improvements to handle the increasing volume of users. As a subconsultant, SI Engineering, P.C. (SIE) provided project management and construction management for the New York Penn Station LIRR Train Hall Renovation Project. The project consisted of two major improvements: (1) adding a new entrance from 33rd Street west of 7th Avenue directly down to the 33rd Street Concourse; and (2) widening two key concourses and constructing other improvements in all the concourses in the LIRR facility, including new lighting, refreshed floor, wall and ceiling finishes, new wayfinding signage, rehabilitated and expanded electrical and HVAC systems, and greatly expanded back-of-house facilities for the Metro-North Railroad (MRN) and LIRR within the footprint of One Penn Plaza. SIE also provided construction inspection oversight for the installation, testing, and commissioning of the cellular and wireless system. These enhancements aligned with broader systemwide upgrades such as expanded wireless connectivity, improved passenger circulation, and refreshed retail and dining areas that elevated the overall traveler experience.
This project improved user safety, security, entry, and egress by providing a new entrance from West 33rd Street near 7th Avenue directly into the LIRR Train Hall and expanded passenger flow and improved safety and security in the LIRR 33rd Street Connecting Concourse and the Main Gate Concourse by reconfiguring those spaces. The new entrance streamlined movement between street level, subway connections, and rail platforms, reducing crowding and improving accessibility for passengers. The work also improved user experience and modernized operational systems and architectural finishes as well as providing a creative and dynamic architectural solution befitting the busiest transit hub in North America. These improvements not only modernize critical infrastructure but also strengthen the daily experience for hundreds of thousands of commuters and support the long-term vitality of New York City’s broader transit network.
