Andy Byford, former NYC subway chief, slated to take over Penn Station renovation, reports say

The Trump Administration has reportedly tapped a former head of the New York City subway and bus system to spearhead efforts to overhaul Penn Station.

Andy Byford, who served as the president of New York City Transit for two years, has been chosen to lead the renovation of the Amtrak-owned transportation hub, media outlets reported Friday. Byford’s appointment is pending confirmation by the Amtrak board, the New York Times reported.

In April, the Trump Administration announced plans earlier this year to transfer oversight of a proposed $7 billion renovation of the 114-year-old station from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, MTA to Amtrak, Newsday reported at the time. Gov. Kathy Hochul had expressed support for the Trump Administration's plans then, saying it allowed the state to use the project's money in other ways. 

"Just this past Sunday morning, I spoke with President Trump about the path forward for Penn Station and he invited me to bring plans to the White House for review," Hochul said Friday. "I’m very pleased to be working with the newly-appointed Andy Byford, who has a distinguished career in transit and infrastructure, and hope he is able to use these skills to deliver a beautiful, on-time, federally funded Penn Station renovation that New Yorkers can be proud of."

Hochul reiterated that the federal government's takeover of the project allowed New York state to "redeploy $1.2 billion in State funds that had previously been allocated toward this project."

Gov. Hochul's office did not immediately respond to Newsday's inquiry regarding how the governor was informed of Byford's appointment.

In a statement issued Friday, John J. McCarthy, the MTA’s chief of policy and external relations, said Byford’s appointment "is good news."

"We look forward to working with Andy Byford, who understands the importance of mass transit and was a strong supporter throughout our battle to implement congestion pricing in New York," McCarthy’s statement reads.

Byford is currently a high-ranking executive with Amtrak, the Times reported.

When reached by email, a spokesperson for Amtrak told Newsday to "feel free to reach out to" the Department of Transportation for comment. The federal transportation department did not immediately reply to Newsday’s inquiry regarding Byford’s appointment.

The Trump administration took over the renovation from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, MTA last month, through its control of Amtrak, a federal agency.