Gateway tunnel funded

SECAUCUS – The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and Amtrak announced this week that each will contribute $35 million toward conducting preliminary engineering work on the long-awaited, critically important Gateway Tunnel Project. The Gateway Tunnel Project would create a new rail tunnel connecting New Jersey to midtown Manhattan, a critical infrastructure need for commuters on both sides of the river.
Funding for the engineering work is an effort by the agencies to speed up the project.
“The need to provide new rail tunnels under the Hudson has never been greater,” said Rep. Bill Pascrell, a longtime advocate for transit infrastructure investments. “Riders are suffering from delays, the current tunnels are in severe disrepair, and today’s announcement can help move the project forward.”
He added, “We know that this problem could have been alleviated sooner if the Access to the Region’s Core (ARC) Tunnel project had continued, but when Governor Christie shut down the project with shovels in the ground, New Jersey was set back greatly. One key element of the ARC project was the Secaucus Loop, which provides thousands of passengers from Passaic and Bergen counties a single-seat ride to midtown Manhattan. It is imperative that the loop is a part of the Gateway Project and we solve this problem for North Jersey commuters.”
The Secaucus Loop would allow for a one-seat ride to New York City for the Main/Bergen and Pascack Valley New Jersey Transit Lines, as well as Metro-North’s Port Jervis Line.
In October 2015, Rep. Pascrell announced the formation of the North Jersey Rail Coalition, formed to increase transit options in one of the most densely-populated regions of the nation.