Through-Running Case
The technical and operating case for converting Penn Station from a fragmented terminal into a modern, high-capacity regional rail hub.
Read the proposalWhat is the future of Penn Station?
The region faces a generational decision: demolish a city block to build a massive terminal extension, or modernize train operations to unlock capacity within the existing footprint.
The core unresolved question: The agencies claim through-running is impossible without demolition. However, newly released public records and internal documents reveal the operational models used to justify this claim are heavily disputed, missing, or contradictory.
What Changed in April 2026
- Hidden Models Uncovered: NJ TRANSIT OPRA releases surfaced internal FRA correspondence discussing a specific "Penn Station RTC model" and revealing heavy internal objections to capacity outputs.
- RPA Advocacy Funded by Amtrak: Amtrak FOIA productions revealed that Regional Plan Association's (RPA) anti-through-running advocacy was directly funded by an Amtrak contract.
- Railroad Lawsuits: Amtrak filed a federal lawsuit against the MTA over Acela track access, highlighting ongoing inter-agency operational dysfunction at the heart of the station's capacity issues.
- FOIL Appeal Granted: The MTA granted a FOIL appeal regarding undisclosed capacity documents, requiring new records production by early summer.
The Missing Model Dispute
The agencies' justification for a multi-billion-dollar station expansion rests on the October 2024 feasibility study, which claims capacity cannot be met through operational efficiencies. However, the foundational modeling proving this claim has never been published.
This creates a glaring contradiction in the public record. In official FOIA responses, Amtrak stated "no simulations were performed" to justify the study. Yet, newly uncovered internal emails show the FRA requesting access to a specific "Penn Station-specific RTC model."
Until the underlying rail traffic models, assumptions, and internal agency disputes are released to the public, the official claim that Penn Station must be expanded via demolition remains technically unverified.
"We have discovered significant deficiencies in both the modeling assumptions and the resulting analysis... which directly impacts the claimed Train Per Hour (TPH) capacity."
— Internal NJ TRANSIT memo objecting to federal capacity models (Released April 2026 via OPRA)
Where to go next
Explore the affirmative case for through-running, read the public records, or find tools to take action before the decision window closes.
Records Archive
The paper trail holding the agencies accountable: Amtrak FOIA materials, state OPRA releases, consulting contracts, and internal emails.
View the documentsRPA Report Rebuttal
Our complete technical critique addressing the flawed methodology in the RPA's April 2026 report on through-running.
Read the rebuttalAdvocacy Toolkit
Scripts, contact lists, and social assets for advocates and residents demanding transparency before demolition begins.
Open the toolkit