'I Have Been Very Impressed:' Amtrak Chief's Jaw-Dropping Response To Penn Station Chaos

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Here's a quick rundown of the past six weeks at Penn Station: two train derailments, near-daily delays, a nasty sewage leak, a full-on stampede and overcrowding that's so bad that police have been forced to shut down entrances to keep people out.

For the man responsible for running it, that's a job well done.

Amtrak CEO Wick Moorman told lawmakers Thursday he was "very impressed" with the way the nation's busiest transportation hub is being run.

"As someone new to the company and with plenty of railroad experience, I have been very impressed that Amtrak has been able to hold together this incredibly complex, busy and fragile infrastructure as well as it has, in spite of many impediments," Moorman told New York State Assembly.

It beg's the question: What would it take for Moorman to be unsatisfied with how things are being run at Penn Station?

Moorman, who took the CEO job at Amtrak eight months ago after 40 years working in the freight railroad business, still couldn't give a straight answer Thursday on how a massive Penn Station improvement plan will affect summer service, weeks after announcing the plan – and warning passengers their commute was about to get even more hellish.

Instead, he continuously pointed out that Penn Station handles twice the capacity it was designed to accommodate, refusing to take blame for the mess that the station has become.

Long Island Rail Road, New Jersey Transit and Amtrak customers who come through the station have recently had to add hours to their commutes.

This summer, Amtrak will attempt to complete two- or three-years worth of track improvement work in a matter of months, meaning construction crews will be performing disruptive work during weekday commuting hours.

Amtrak's Penn Station improvement plan includes four major projects:

1. Infrastructure renewal projects;
2. An independent review of Penn Station operations by former MTA CEO Tom Prendergast;
3. The construction of a joint station concourse operations center;
4. Safety and security upgrades throughout the station.

NBC New York reporter Andrew Siff said that Moorman told him the service plan will be revealed next week.

Passengers will be eagerly waiting.

Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images News/Getty Images