World's Biggest Train Station Inspires Renovation That Hit Major Milestone

New York City's Grand Central Terminal, the world's largest railway station, is helping shape the future of the city’s Pennsylvania Station, as its long-anticipated redesign reaches a key milestone.

The ambitious overhaul of Penn Station, led by Amtrak and backed by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), is now moving into the predevelopment agreement (PDA) stage, according to a press briefing held on Monday, following decades of plans that have been shelved and redrawn since the late 1960s. Construction work for the renovation is slated to begin at the end of 2027.

The PDA will be executed in June and July, as developers refine preliminary designs and the project undergoes federal environmental review. At the center of the redesign is Vishaan Chakrabarti, the lead architect behind the project and founder of the Practice for Architecture and Urbanism (PAU), who has drawn on Grand Central's legacy to reimagine Penn Station.

The project carries significant weight given Penn Station's role in the region. With more than 600,000 daily riders-triple what it once had-it is described as the busiest transportation hub in the Western Hemisphere. Yet, despite its scale, the station "remains constrained, dangerous and overcrowded," according to a statement Monday from the team behind the project.

Despite the progress, the project has faced criticism from New York lawmakers. In a letter sent on Sunday to DOT Secretary Sean P. Duffy, they called for greater transparency around the redevelopment process.

The lawmakers argued that there has been "no transparency on the overall cost, who will pay this unknown price, no input from the MTA [Metropolitan Transportation Authority] or key stakeholders, and no public proposal over which land will be used and for what purposes now or later."

Officials said Monday that the total cost of the Penn Station redevelopment is estimated to be around $8 billion. In a statement on Monday, Amtrak said that funding will come mostly from federal grants, as well as federal loans and private financing, as well as from equity raised by Penn Transformation Partners, the consortium of designers, developers and builders behind the project.

Andy Byford, a former New York City subway chief now advising the Penn Station project, emphasized Monday that "there will be no fare hike to pay for this project."

Grand Central-the ‘North Star' for new Penn Station

At Monday’s briefing, Chakrabarti spoke about the influence of Grand Central, describing it as a guiding reference point throughout the planning process.

"[Cornelius] Vanderbilt, when he built Grand Central, had this whole idea of building a city around it that he called Terminal City," the architect said, pointing to the broader urban ambition behind historic rail infrastructure.

Chakrabarti believes "functionality, beauty and dignity are the most transformative aspects of this project," a representative for the project told Newsweek.

The architect explained that the design team has closely studied stations along the Northeast Corridor, the major rail line connecting New York City to Boston and Washington, noting their consistent use of stone.

"We looked at a great deal, and I think we've drawn every nook and cranny, and Grand Central is kind of our North Star in terms of corner entries," Chakrabarti said Monday.

Equal Access for All Commuters

Penn Station currently serves the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR), Amtrak and New Jersey Transit, but access and amenities are uneven. While the Moynihan Train Hall caters to Amtrak and some LIRR passengers, it does not serve New Jersey Transit riders or most subway commuters. Meanwhile, more than 1,500 Amtrak employees still operate from the original underground station, according to the team behind the project.

Chakrabarti said the redesign seeks to correct this imbalance. He noted that the project is intended to deliver "equality at this station for every single user," ensuring each rail service benefits from the improvements.

Under the new plan, New Jersey Transit riders-who currently see limited advantages from Moynihan-would gain their own concourse. This would bring them closer to the experience long associated with Grand Central.

"This means for New Jersey and for Long Island commuters you will get what Grand Central has had for over a century, which is the ability to come into a dignified station," Chakrabarti said.

He added that improved connectivity could have wider benefits, including reducing commute times by allowing passengers to walk directly to nearby office buildings rather than transferring to the subway.

Expanding Space and Restoring Identity

One of the defining features of the redesign is a substantial increase in circulation space. Chakrabarti said the revamped station will offer "almost double the amount of pedestrian circulation space at Grand Central," marking what he called "an enormous improvement."

The project also incorporates design elements inspired by Grand Central's iconic features. The station clock will be bronze-mirroring the material used at Grand Central. Dispelling speculation that it would be gold, the architect said: "It's bronze…it's the same color as that clock in Grand Central," adding that original bronze handrails at Penn Station will also be preserved and echoed in the redesign.

Elsewhere, the influence extends to social and cultural spaces. Plans include a bar modeled on Grand Central's famed Oyster Bar, near the stairs at the concourse level.

"This is actually inspired by the oyster bar in Grand Central," the architect said.

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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 3:02 PM.