When Amtrak begins emergency repairs at Penn Station in July, Governor Andrew Cuomo says the MTA shouldn’t have to pay for associated costs.
The repairs are forcing the MTA to add trains, express buses and ferry service to compensate for fewer tracks being available. Cuomo said the Long Island Railroad currently pays Amtrak $50 million per year in rent at Penn Station.
"I strongly urge the MTA Board to recover these costs from payments to Amtrak. If the MTA Board insists on continuing payments to Amtrak, I will seek a state law to stop them,” Governor Cuomo said in a statement.
Amtrak is scheduled to begin repairs after a series of problems with the tracks at Penn Station. That will result in limited service for all the railroads who use the station.
"We do not know at this time what the total cost of mitigation will be, but I believe as a matter of principle, whatever the ultimate cost, it should not be borne by the commuters or taxpayers of the State of New York,” Cuomo said.
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