Inside NYC's ornate new Penn Station train hall 

@Stranded NYer Well now you know why Penn Central lost the bid to tear down Grand Central.

Literally the most famous sports arena on earth

@@manusamoa141 The Roman Coliseum would argue with that.

@@JeffDeWitt Highly doubtful anyone today would mention the Coliseum when asked to name the most famous sports arena.

@@manusamoa141 That's a very US-centric view. Most people outside of the US have not even heard of this stadium.

True. They clearly took designs from the old Penn to craft the Moynihan Hall

Now it’s time for them to expand Penn and build the Gateway tunnels. Prepare the Northeast Corridor for the next 100 years.

Except that its functionality is so limited, serves only one line of trains.

Plus, it still doesn’t solve the organizational problems underlying the station, namely that the Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit, the other major users of Penn, treat it as more of a terminal for their services than Amtrak does-essentially, there’s plenty of unnecessary bottlenecking at the ends of the station. Direct coordination of schedules, trainset sharing, and one-seat through services that start in Jersey and end in Connecticut/Long Island and vice versa would greatly help. Of course, that’s before you take into account the fact that the owners of Madison Square Garden and the rest of Penn Plaza are different from the railroads and stubbornly holding on, which means rebuilding the top of the station above street level gets more difficult... But Moynihan Hall is still a great architectural addition nonetheless.

Agreed. It's good lipstick, but that's it. At least it's decent lipstick.

Hola Johnny 👋

Hello Johnny boy

Didn’t expect you here

@johnny Harris can we expect a video on NYC railroads and the history with the maps??

Hello Johnny, do a video on train maps.

Yes, and dedicated lines for passenger trains only.

There are several high speed rail projects currently around the country, most notably California's but also the Pacific Northwest and Texas. The problem with high speed rail on the Northeast Corridor is train speeds are limited by curves, and this rail line between Washington DC and Boston is almost 200 years old and winds its way through places like Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, etc. High speed trains need lots of straight track with very broad curves, and the Northeast is so built up that it makes it very challenging to build any new track. The Northeast Corridor can continue to be upgraded to a point to maximize the speeds physically allowed, but it won't be high speed by global standards like HSR systems in Europe and Asia. With regards to Amtrak, their role was to resurrect what was left of the American passenger rail network and bring it into the 21st century. The NE Corridor is Amtrak's big money maker, as are some of the state-run routes like the Pacific Surfliner and Capitol Corridor in California and regional services in Chicago. The long distance trains are like Greyhound on rails, meaning they serve the areas between big cities that don't necessarily have easy access to interstate highways or airports, and are a big financial drain on Amtrak but absolutely vital for rural America. America's high speed rail ambitions might best be left to private companies like Brightline or publicly funded projects like California High Speed Rail to create corridors between 100 and 500 miles long connecting two or more major cities that see lots of annual intercity traffic. Amtrak would retain connecting the small communities with the big cities while high speed rail would focus on connecting those big cities in a corridor together.

@@ChrisJones-gx7fc Honestly, Amtrak and rail will only be competitive in 300 mile radiuses and if it has quality infrastructure..... I wish amtrak would focus sometimes more outside the Northeast. I think Atlanta could be a huge hub for the south and the texas triangle is the some of the best areas for high speed rail. Florida is already getting the Brightline expanded throughout the state. Hopefully, after Covid it can be a model for the private mid speed passenger train industry.

@@ChrisJones-gx7fc Also, the new penn station looks amazing.

@@Frisbeeninja2 yeah it absolutely does. I believe this new train hall is part of a much larger ambition to rebuild the original Penn Station in all its glory but with modern touches. www.rebuildpennstation.org

Exactly and its so sad that this country has the mechanisms to rebrand itself and rebuild its infrastructure but a hard headed government that won’t do it.

Job growth

@@Monkeymeep I think now is the time we finally get an infrastructure bill passed. Third time’s a charm and the past 2 presidents promised a bill and never went through on that promise. Finger crossed🤞🏽

Transport is one of the most neglected sectors in this country, so now is the perfect time to swoop in and update everything. Invest in it and people will use it!

this is exactly right

I've been riding Amtrak since 2001. you'll love it.

❤️

I've travelled about 20,000 miles by train. I love it!

@@Cal90208 Over 100,000 miles here.

Your country has the largest railway network in the world. Yes, prioritising passenger services, nationalising, electrifying tracks, reconstructing, it won't be easy, but you can do it!

@@smb6995 I don't think we should prioritize electrifying our trains. We should prioritize making them reliable, faster than cars, and making it an enjoyable and convenient experience.

@@Cal90208 good point, but I think this can be done simultaneously, because electric trains are generally faster, more reliable and comfortable. Either way diesel trains are still a lot more efficient and ecofriendly than diesel buses, for example, especially if you use modern European DMUs

@@smb6995 Mhm, and I’ve always been comfortable in diesel trains so.

@@Cal90208 modern trains are quite comfortable regardless of the engine, I think

Good job!

It's beautiful. You should be proud that your work will always be on display for the public to see and use.

Thank you!!

Must have been really cool to work on

You and your crew did a great job.

Even old buildings in chicago make me tear up after they are being torn down.

@ feartactics Totally agree with you about the Old Pennsylvania station! Edit to add: "Old New York Penn Station Past and Present: 1911 vs. 2019" ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-_vby82-Z60s.html

That's what NYC is. That's the real New York. Its dirty, and gritty. Not the glitz and glamour of the movies.

To be fair renovations are difficult. New York (Manhattan to be specific) is squished on a tiny island. People rely on Penn station every day and any shutdowns or a complete overhaul for renovating aren’t really and option. Property is also super expensive and air rights need to be bought. Any projects are very difficult to undertake.

New York is a world class, trashy city. The epitome of American urbanity. It's a paradox of contemporary wonder alongside aged decay. It's a new city, mostly 20th century buildings, built quick and cheap but with beautiful facades. Makes it easy to tear the city down and rebuild it every 50 years.

Singapore's Woodlands Train Checkpoint has entered the chat?

We have grand central

@Jenny Lee ur an internet troll

The tracks are only for Amtrak and some LIRR trains, but they will renovate the the older part soon and even add an extra extension to it so it is far from done.

Same. It was awful. I'm glad the new train hall is finished.

@@ethankarp4309 they have a couple NJT trains that go there as well

@@Sylveonkpopnyct pretty wrong, because the entrance to the station say only LIRR and Amtrak

@@ethankarp4309 yeah but on twitter someone posted a njt train that stopped on track 14 (which is part of moynihan)

gotta check out Denver. they did a great job, Detroit is working on theirs

Atlanta needs to do theirs. They raised Grand Central and Terminus Station in the 70’s.

Amtrak Atl great idea, we had so many fantastic and gorgeous ones that were either bulldozed or at best turned into museums

@@amtrakatl They've been talking for decades about building an intermodal at five points where Union Station was located, lol.

St. Pancras in London is a great example of what a train station should be, I hope the renovations of D.C. Union Station exceed expectations!

50% of it is still dark and grubby, it's not like old Penn station doesn't exist anymore. It even says in the piece that Amtrak is the biggest beneficiary since they're moving out of old Penn station and into the Moynihan tracks... which means that the local commuters who take the LIRR still use tracks 1 through 21. This billion dollar project is very clearly benefiting tourist dollars to bring people from out of state into New York City, not someone coming in from LI or a local subway track.

@@stringztoo NJ Transit is also still relegated to the rat's nest.

@@stringztoo Exactly, hopefully they still upgrade the LIRR commuter side. All we got was that new fancy escalator.

@@stringztoo pretty sure it's still step one. Other corriders are probably going to get renovated to look like the West end corridor.

@@stringztoo I guarantee you that the planners want to be nerding out over completely renovated tracks that have full through traffic but that is extremely expensive while also being disruptive to operations. The laundry list of structural issues that exist in NY-area trains is myriad. Unfortunately internal improvements with price tags in the tens of billions are just a hard sell to voters when compared to flashy stuff like this. Hopefully the expanded station allows for more flexibility for future construction.

I wouldn’t get my hopes up about Subway . MTA is nothing but a criminal syndicate. they should really clean up all the garbage. City is drowning in trash, its disgusting

@@njnikusha not to mention New York subway is just massive I doubt they will clean all of it lol

As a native Chicagoan who now calls NYC home, Union Station is trash. And the L there isn't much better.

Its also just more relaxing. :) I've done cross country around 8 times, and would gladly do it again. The train crews are nice, the scenery spectacular, and was overall a pleasant experience.

if you try to take Amtrak California Zephyr san to chi ，you know why

Modern high-speed rail is the future, China has spent billions developing their rail network. Europe has railway system that is the envy of the world, meanwhile the 20th century U.S. railroad system might be great for moving frieght but not people...

Some of my most favorite trips have been by train. I live in New York, and one of the best trips I ever made was to Philadelphia for their marathon. Of all the races I’ve traveled, that one by far was the one I enjoyed the most. Going there by train was calming and relaxing, taking in the scenery. More people should travel that way. It allows you to be more patient while taking the time to just take it all in.

No one is going to trade a 4 hour flight with a 25 hour train trip. Trains are for regional transport only for travel between cities 200 miles or less apart.

Shame the west coast has horrible passenger rail network.

@@23chnge I like the fact that you need a ticket to get a seat in the waiting rooms, also the fact they have charging stations to charge your phones there.

Billions and probably couldn't find people that are trained craftsmen

That doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done, if China/Europe/Japan/S Korea can have a high speed rail network, so can we. Our infrastructure is not 1st World.

No it wouldn't. We can prefabricate things and make them with cheaper materials.

No it wouldn’t, we literally have it so easy to design things compared to 100 years ago. That’s a myth. Plus glass buildings are the least energy efficient buildings in existence.

The corporate leaders of the Gilded age 1904 tunnels and train station didn't have income taxes to worry about, and their workers were paid much less than today's union wage/benefit package. They could afford to borrow or take from operating revenues huge sums to build big. That world is long gone. Even pro sports get their stadia and arenas on the public dime these days, though the owners ae often multi-millionaires or even billionaires.

Not even close

Distances are too great. Just fly and get to your destination hours in advance.

@@1320fastback if china can do it we damn sure can no more excuses...

Not practical at all

@@WARREN-ys7sc warren supporter talking about practicality lol

@@wrong1029 ?

Man I go through Penn Station everyday, I’ve missed trains by seconds, Ive sprinted through the seemingly narrow tunnels of Penn. And I will say, this is much better than what we had and I will take it any day over Penn’s underground dugout. We would stand in crowds, all staring at one board with a list of train times waiting for our track to be called, even if you missed your train you’d sometimes be waiting there for 40-60 mins, and now that there’s an actual place to sit, and even just get some space and sunlight, the experience is far better than what was. If yall want grandeur then check out Grand Central

@@zetax7397 We’re talking about the original penn station, not the crappy one after they knocked down the original structure

@@tbestig4164 Yeah I get that but I’m just saying even if this is just a “knock off” modern version, I’ll take it especially since places like GCT have been preserved.

I wholeheartedly agree, I don't like it much and thought it looked like just another generic shopping mall or soulless airport. Soulless airports I can stand and have no issue with, however a train station is apart of the actual city and often is the first introduction to the city by the visitor.

But we didn't Glasgow lost two railway stations st enoch and Buchanan street

​@@chrisinnes2128 those are not the only 2 buildings in the uk tho i didnt say every single building. we have alot more than we've gotten rid of. unless you trollin then carry on.

I like tram

Ben Rosner I take the NJT

I LOVE going into Grand Central!

yo ben it's levi lmfaooo

@@gunarr6 Lmao how does an Idahoan stumble upon a Penn Station video?

@@jeromefitzroy bruh nj transit is always the one left behind

They're the same tracks. This concourse is at the west end of those tracks, so you need to take the escalators up from the west end of the platforms.

@@davezanko9051 thank you so much for this clarification, gonna try this next time!

@Pete Melon not prefer but can only.

@Pete Melon show me the train going from New York to Dallas.

@ Peter This is ridiculous, I’ve lived in several major cities including NYC, the suburbs and rural areas and as much as I love Public transportation and Amtrak there is no comparison to being able to drive directly from point A to point B. Both the time saving and freedom to go wherever you want on your own schedule. Public transit and rail has its place but less densely populated areas are better served by cars.

@@QueenetBowie yes that’s why people can only use cars.

I'd have to respectively disagree with ya there. I'd say the old Southern Pacific Third and Townsend terminal was San Fran's equivalent to Penn. It got torn down in '73 and replaced with the smaller Fourth and Townsend terminal that CalTrain still uses nowadays. I mean, some of the SP's most well known trains called at Third and Townsend like The Lark, Coast Daylight, and their Peninsula Commute trains, the same as how a number of the Pennsylvania Railroad's most well known trains called at Penn. But, on the other hand, the loss of *ANY* historic building is a huge blow no matter what, and understandably lamentable.

@@justahillbilly7777 If one compares only train stations with train stations, then yes. However with what little I can find of any interior photos of Third and Townsend, it does not have the opulence of the interiors of Penn Station and the Fox Theater. I was alive during the time of its demolition in 1975-1976 (not 1973) and there was no mention of any resistance or protest of its demise in the news. That entire block between Third and Fourth became an RV park for decades before the current building there.

St. Pancras is a gorgeous example of what a train station should be, if only the U.S. had a rail system like Europe!

@@timnewman1172 It is. We nearly lost it though, thanks to 1960s modernism!

I cannot even imagine if they had torn down St. Pancras. Euston is great example of what not to do, hence why they're having to build a new one.

Senator Moynihan started the planning in 1990. The underground work was financed by the Recovery funds released after the 2008 financial crisis. Work on the hall itself started 5 years ago.

No. I like being able to choose where I sit

@@WesternOhioInterurbanHistory you usually can online

You have to travel the work more, you would be shocked at other train stations.

Ehh, stations are one thing. Rail lines themselves are another

@@zackcascio5652 Long way to go. But you gotta start somewhere.

@@ainahko16 oh I’m all for the comeback, I just wanted to put a realistic tone on things

@@zackcascio5652 Same here.

It won’t

That’s the most unique part of the station lol.

@@CrazyDash9 He means the tunnels between New Jersey and Manhattan, not the station itself. That there's only two single-track tunnels which have been there for over 100 years and need significant repair since they were completely filled with water during Hurricane Sandy is a critical infrastructure issue. If even one fails, the problems will be enormous for the entire country. The plan is to add two additional tracks, then use the new flexibility to repair the existing tunnels (and also to replace the worn out drawbridge over the Hackensack River just to the west of those tunnels). It's absolutely needed, and hopefully with a much more train friendly administration (Biden having been a regular train traveler back in his senate days to the point where he was nicknamed the "Senator from Amtrak") it will finally get done.

I couldn’t agree more

Knowing America, corruption probably accounted for the $1.6 billion

stuff costs way too much these days, usually cuz extreme unions and bad management, look at cali's hsr project, i believe its a 8 billion$ right now and still nowhere near finished

Why would you demolish Madison Square Garden (especially after it's 1 billion dollar upgrade a few years ago) and where would you put a New Madison Square Garden in Manhattan? And at what cost to rebuild a new MSG just to get a replica of the old Penn station? That's crazy, and I'm sure new yorkers wouldn't want to pay for that with higher taxes. The city is taxed high enough as is already.

I was very excited about this, but now that I see it, I'm not so sure. I feel like there are two opposing styles/details that weren't carried through in order to create a cohesive space. The atrium is really neat looking, but I don't see any of that repeated on the ground level. I've worked on MMW projects myself and I don't think this was successful.... t's just strange to me. Maybe I just have to see it in person.

@@TreebeardWood I understand your point. However, the aesthetic fits the style common in European stations of similar vintage: Modern details in an older structure. From a form follows function standpoint, the design is excellent. Passengers can easily find their train on the departure board, and then find the correct escalator to get to it. It is also superior to Penn or WAUS in that you dont have to walk past acres of stores and restaurants before reaching the train concourse. Clean and functional, with direct connections to the 8th Avenue subway.

@@HSMiyamoto I totally get it. I just wish they tied in some of the ornamental steel detail on the ground plane is all. It doesn’t seem balanced to me.