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U.S. NEWS Wednesday 24 May 2017
Christie lays out train deal, Cuomo

set for ‘summer of hell’

MICHAEL CATALINI other equipment at Penn
DEEPTI HAJELA Station, the nation’s busi-
Associated Press est rail terminal. Amtrak op-
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Gov. erates the station that also
Chris Christie on Tuesday includes Long Island Rail
unveiled a plan to limit Road and New Jersey Tran-
the impact on New Jer- sit commuter lines.
sey commuters during an The Penn Station project is
emergency track repair separate from a massive
project at Penn Station, plan to build a new tun-
while New York Gov. An- nel under the Hudson River
drew Cuomo cautioned connecting New York and
commuters in his state to New Jersey to replace an
prepare for a “summer of existing 110-year-old tunnel
hell.” that is a source of regular
Christie said that only rid- delays due to overhead
ers on New Jersey Transit’s wire problems.
Morris and Essex Line’s Mid- The two states have agreed
town Direct service would to split half of the cost and
be affected by the work then-President Barack
from July through Labor Obama’s administration New York’s Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks during his announce-
Day, with their trains end- ment of plans to improve the Metropolitan Transportation Au-
ing in Hoboken. He added had pledged to fund the thority transit system to resolve chronic commuter train delays,
Tuesday May 23, 2017, in New York.
that other lines were not ex- other half. However, the Associated Press
pected to have significant budget proposed by Presi-
delays but that he wouldn’t dent Donald Trump Tues-
guarantee it. day would cut the funding
The New Jersey Republican program that the so-called
bashed Amtrak as dishon- Gateway project was set
est during a statehouse to use.
news conference, but he Trump’s budget propos-
said the agency had prom- al includes a promise to
ised daily track repair up- launch a $1 trillion infra-
dates to New Jersey Transit structure plan, but it does
and the chance to review not lay out specifics on
all rail work. what it will fund.
“Amtrak’s duplicity, their Transportation Secretary
dishonesty and their inabil- Elaine Chao said during a
ity to keep infrastructure in hearing last week that the
a state of good repair — Northeast Corridor project
we can’t any longer ... rely was a priority, noting that
on Amtrak,” Christie said. Trump is a New Yorker. She
Amtrak didn’t immediately said Tuesday that the ad-
respond to a request for ministration plans to issue a
comment. legislative plan in the fall.
Cuomo, a Democrat, said Christie and Cuomo both
Tuesday that a task force reiterated calls that the
would be established to private sector should take
come up with short-term
measures, but he called over Penn Station from Am-
the delays that the repairs trak. Cuomo has also sug-
will cause for riders a “loom- gested the Port Authority of
ing emergency.” New York and New Jersey
“It will be a summer of hell take control of the station.
for commuters,” he said. On weekdays, there are
Recent derailments and more than 110 Morris and
other problems have Essex line trains that either
pushed Amtrak to begin start or end their trips in
replacing aging tracks and New York.
Those trains will instead
start or terminate in Hobo-
ken, with PATH trains and
ferries honoring NJ Transit
fares, Christie said. Fares
will be will be reduced by
about half for riders on that.
Christie estimated that
could cost the state $15
million, but said he would
find the money to cover it
in the state’s $35.5 billion
budget.q