Amtrak blasts Hochul and MTA for spinning blame on tunnel closures that could lead to delays
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways
Amtrak's top boss blasted Gov. Kathy Hochul for failing to shoulder her portion of the blame for tunnel closures that could lead to train delays starting next week.
In a sharply worded letter to Hochul, Amtrak president Roger Harris said Hochul's last-minute objections to Amtrak's tunnel shutdown plan were 'surprising' because MTA approved Amtrak's service plans for the $1.6 billion East River Tunnel rehabilitation months ago.
Harris also said MTA's mismanagement of another project delayed the 'critical' East River Tunnel repairs by six months — and he accused the state of pushing 'misinformation' that undermines public trust.
'This underscores the importance of aligned public messaging,' Harris wrote to the governor. 'The project's engineering, safety and operational requirements have been transparent from the start and fully vetted by your agencies, MTA and New York State Department of Transportation.'
Amtrak president Roger Harris said MTA has been a part of the controversial plan to close parts of the East River tunnels for repair work all along. REUTERS
Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote a letter Monday calling on Amtrak to change its repair plans — even though the NYDOT had worked closely on the project plans. Robert Miller
Harris warned that spinning the story could 'erode confidence' in all the agencies trying to fix the city's crumbling rails.
Starting May 9, Amtrak will close for repair one of the four East River tunnels that connect Penn Station to Queens — forcing the MTA, Amtrak and New Jersey Transit trains to operate on fewer tracks while the aging infrastructure, which was battered by Superstorm Sandy in 2012, undergoes major repairs.
There will be only 10 round trips from Penn Station to Albany instead of the usual 12 because of the closure.
Workers will alternate which tunnel they work on during the three-year project.
Passengers were outraged after MTA heads warned the tunnel closures could cause delays for all trains running through the remaining three East River tunnels.
In response to Harris' letter, MTA issued a statement from Long Island Rail Road president Rob Free.
'If they proceed as intended, while finger-pointing about unrelated issues as a distraction, Long Islanders' reliance on record on-time and reliable trains will be jeopardized — which is unacceptable,' Free said.
Laura Mason, executive vice president at Amtrak, said Amtrak engineers worked with the MTA 'in a lot of detail' on the East River tunnel plans.
'This collaboration goes back years,' she told The Post Friday.
There will be only 10 round trips from Penn Station to Albany instead of the usual 12 during the three-year project. AP
The White House put Amtrak in charge of the Penn Station redo. Two weeks later, the MTA board passed a resolution condemning Amtrak's construction work on the East River tunnel project.
Mason said Amtrak was already working with MTA to mitigate delays by adding more standby crews to rescue trains if something goes wrong and by changing train schedules.
'I don't want to opine on their motives, but I do think the timing is questionable,' Mason said.
The engineer is working on the Penn Station revamp too — that project was recently yanked from the MTA and handed to Amtrak instead by the Trump administration.
'It is always challenging in an environment that has a lot of intense politics, as well as a high degree of ridership that people do get nervous ahead of these outages,' Mason said.
A spokesperson for Hochul said Amtrak has failed to deliver on promises to mitigate service disruptions and that's why the governor is concerned.
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The baby was 'just days old' and found wrapped in a sheet, The West Australian has reported. A police spokesman said multiple resources had been sent to the location as authorities investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. It is understood ambulance crews were initially called but were stood down. Police also issued an emergency alert on Monday evening to all Perth maternity hospitals with concerns for the welfare of the mother. Detectives remained at the scene late on Monday, after police spent the afternoon doorknocking nearby residents. It has been reported a large portion of the road remained blocked off to the public well into Monday evening. - NewsWire Australia slams Israel's 'unjustified' visa move Foreign Minister Penny Wong has slammed Israel's decision to revoke visas for Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority as 'unjustified'. 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So with the latest effort to get to grips with the issue, we're asking you if you think authorities are doing enough when it comes to the illegal use of e-transport. Have your say below. Children are the target of Queensland Police's latest e-bike crackdown as momentum to get to grips with their illegal use continues to grow nationally. Police in Brisbane have launched Operation X-ray Stamp this month to target the illegal and dangerous use of e-scooters and e-bikes along the city's popular Kedron Brook Bikeway. "With many offences involving children, the operation strongly focuses on educating both children and their parents about their responsibilities and the consequences of allowing their child's illegal use of these devices," Queensland Police said on Tuesday. 'The main issues we see with e-scooters and e-bikes include unlicensed driving of unregistered vehicles, speeding, dangerous driving such as swerving in and out of pedestrians, and illegal modifications," Senior Sergeant Saskia Toohey said. 'Our focus is on education and engagement, but the QPS will take enforcement action, including issuing fines or confiscating non-compliant devices, if necessary, to stop unsafe behaviour." So with the latest effort to get to grips with the issue, we're asking you if you think authorities are doing enough when it comes to the illegal use of e-transport. Have your say below. Trump makes big promise to Ukraine Donald Trump has told President Volodymyr Zelensky the US would help guarantee Ukraine's security in any deal to end Russia's war there, though the extent of any assistance was not immediately clear. Trump made the pledge during an extraordinary summit at the White House, where he hosted Zelensky and a group of European allies days after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and months after a disastrous Oval Office meeting that saw Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly criticise the Ukrainian leader. A peace deal appeared far from imminent, however. Just before the talks began, Russia's Foreign Ministry ruled out the deployment of troops from NATO countries to help secure a peace deal, adding complications to Trump's offer. Both Trump and Zelenskiy said they hoped Monday's gathering would eventually lead to three-way talks with Putin. The Kremlin has not yet publicly accepted such a meeting, and it remains to be seen whether Putin, whose forces have been slowly grinding forward in eastern Ukraine, is prepared to sit down with Zelenskiy or make meaningful concessions. Read more here. Donald Trump has told President Volodymyr Zelensky the US would help guarantee Ukraine's security in any deal to end Russia's war there, though the extent of any assistance was not immediately clear. Trump made the pledge during an extraordinary summit at the White House, where he hosted Zelensky and a group of European allies days after Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska and months after a disastrous Oval Office meeting that saw Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly criticise the Ukrainian leader. A peace deal appeared far from imminent, however. Just before the talks began, Russia's Foreign Ministry ruled out the deployment of troops from NATO countries to help secure a peace deal, adding complications to Trump's offer. Both Trump and Zelenskiy said they hoped Monday's gathering would eventually lead to three-way talks with Putin. The Kremlin has not yet publicly accepted such a meeting, and it remains to be seen whether Putin, whose forces have been slowly grinding forward in eastern Ukraine, is prepared to sit down with Zelenskiy or make meaningful concessions. Read more here.
