Penn Station reboot is a big challenge for Trump

The Trump administration's announcement that it would take over the renovation of Penn Station could be an opportunity to jump-start the Herculean effort to remake the oft-maligned transportation behemoth into the gem it once was. To ensure success, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has to establish a visionary collaborative process to avoid the pitfalls that doomed the many earlier efforts. 

Penn Station's siloed, byzantine maze of tracks, platforms and concourses has long vexed federal and state officials who've promised to rehab the dark, dingy, dysfunctional facility. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority's renovation of the Long Island Rail Road concourse and the creation of Moynihan Hall were success stories. Further modernization of the transit hub isn't only about the aesthetics; any redo must improve safety and functionality, while also expanding track and platform capacity.

Before Duffy's decision, the MTA was working with Amtrak and New Jersey Transit on reconstruction designs. Duffy's announcement instead suggests a possible public-private partnership. In the best-case scenario, Duffy sets up a competitive process run by a responsible third party that opens the door to proposals old and new and produces a plan that accounts for the hundreds of thousands of people who use the station daily, including Long Island commuters. The MTA must play a role, even as Duffy wages a multifront battle with the authority and Gov. Kathy Hochul over congestion pricing and the system's performance. Another key complexity: the future of Madison Square Garden and its Hulu Theater.

It's unclear whether Duffy and his team have a real plan for what's next for Penn, the busiest rail station in the country. The lack of one could derail any efforts, especially with Amtrak at the helm. The record of the national passenger rail system is littered with delays, budget overruns and other difficulties. As bad as the MTA has sometimes been at managing big capital efforts, Amtrak has been worse; it even deserves part of the blame for long delays in Grand Central Madison's opening. On top of that, Amtrak, which is susceptible to ongoing federal staff and budget cuts, already has its hands full with the rehabilitation of the East River Tunnels. The consequences of Amtrak's plan to fully close one tube at a time could be havoc for commuters. Since Duffy is taking on Penn, perhaps the DOT through the Federal Railroad Administration, which oversees Amtrak, can also make sure the tunnel rehab project is completed quickly and without unnecessary disruption.

President Donald Trump has cards to play at Penn. He's in charge of making appointments to the Amtrak board, filling one vacancy last month. And Amtrak's chief executive resigned last month; finding the right person for that job will be key. Beyond that, Trump understands the players and complexities in New York's web of real estate, transportation and entertainment.

If Trump and Duffy can manage those many moving parts, perhaps there's hope that Penn's renovation can stay on track — without signal trouble ahead.