Amtrak Put Off Vital Track Fixes For Months As It Focused On Other Projects, Report Says

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Long-term fixes for deteriorating tack conditions at Penn Station were put off as the transportation agency prioritized other projects, some backed by prominent politicians, according to a report.

Amtrak officials allocated more resources and work hours to the new Moynihan Train Hall — a project touted as an infrastructure priority by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo — than to track repairs at Penn Station before a series of train derailments forced the agency's hand, according to a New York Times investigation.

Track problems not identified as "safety-critical" were often ignored for months or even years before being fixed, the Times reported.

Amtrak maintenance managers told the Times that some rail parts in Penn Station tracks were even in use past their replacement dates. The policy created tensions between maintenance managers — who were told to wait for resources and were often given insufficient work hours to implement proper fixes — and Amtrak officials, the Times reported.

"You can only put so many Band-Aids on," former Amtrak deputy chief engineer E. Keith Holt told the Times. "Sooner or later that stuff catches up to you."

Amtrak CEO Wick Moorman told the Times that he would not have postponed any upkeep projects that could have jeopardized rider safety.

Tracks on the western side of Penn Station — specifically the complicated "A" interlocking track infrastructure which controls how trains are diverted into the station — began to give way this summer, resulting in a number of train derailments and a seemingly endless stream of delays.

The problems eventually forced Amtrak to launch an accelerated repair program which consisted of obstructive weekday work that resulted in service changes. The plan, and resulting service changes, eventually became known as the "Summer of Hell" — a term coined by Gov. Cuomo.

Read the New York Times' full investigation here.

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