Inside New York’s $16BN New Mega-Railway

[@TheImpossibleBuild]

Will this solve New York’s transport problems? **Portal North Bridge construction drone content courtesy of scottmaasmedia - kzbin.info/door/uD8NGVQ7IUP-WN7a4mtmRQ

[@TheRailwayDrone]

Kind of a ridiculous question considering this is only one segment of NYC's transportation issues.

[@robertw.previdi5450]

No. It is a poorly designed plan that only doubles capacity from NJ it does not better connect the region. Most of that added capacity will be used by NJTransit and their own studies show that 35% of NJT riders want access to Grand Central which this project will not accomplish. Their plan is to build 8 new tracks by purchasing a block south of Penn Station and building a stub-end terminal. The LIRR just built an 11 billion dollar 8-track terminal under Grand Central, called Grand Central Madison, but Long Islanders are complaining that lines that had a train every half hour to Penn and now waiting an hour because the LIRR has to split services between 2 terminals. The Gateway program is not an innovative solution. It will end up like the LIRR's Grand Central Madison terminal which sees only 50,000 people daily. Some will say, 'Oh well Covid'. But that does not explain how London built the Elizabeth Line for $20 billion and has 600,000 riders per day, and yes it opened during COVID. Paris has the RER which moves over 3 million per day, in fact, no city in the world builds stub-end terminals anymore. London, Paris, and all cities globally build lines that go from one end of the region to the other. Trains from LI and CT should go to NJ and visa versa. If we want a game-changing design, we need to change the governance of how the commuter rail system in NYC and along the NEC works. Right now it's broken, and I fear will waste far too many billions for something that will not attract riders out of their cars and reduce traffic on I95.

[@TheRailwayDrone]

@@robertw.previdi5450 You also forgot to mention how the Elizabeth line was over budget and years late, but that's beside the point. The primary reason these tunnels are needed is because the old ones are literally falling apart due to the short-sightedness of politicians who refused to allocate the money needed to keep our infrastructure the best-in-class. Now we are where we are. People complained when this project was supposed to be constructed in 2010, and the NJ Governor, who shut down the project, instead used the allocated money for highway projects that did nothing but contribute to induced demand. People can complain about this all they want, but it is abundantly clear that something needs to be done to improve access into NYC. This is what we got so we have to live with it regardless of how "poorly designed" people think it is.

[@thetrainguy1]

@@robertw.previdi5450 Actually the tunnels are designed with the future in mind. No one talks about how Penn Station South will have tail tracks that will lead to a future planned layover yard which can easily be extended to a new tunnel to Grand Central.

[@dknowles60]

this is a rape of the Tax payers, the Chunnel did not even cost 16 billion to build and it is way biger

[@jimmytan2208]

My great grandchildren will be so happy when it's finally opened. Thank you, you guys are the BEST !!

[@tehjkhruighreuig]

😂😂😂

[@stuartdavis798]

Optimist!

[@RobertodelaVega-t3w]

Announced Grand Opening has been moved to 2075.

[@russmartin4189]

It all should be done in 10 years. "The Gateway Program, a series of rail infrastructure projects that will improve the Northeast Corridor between New Jersey and New York City, is scheduled to be completed by 2035. Construction began in 2023, and the total cost is estimated to be $16.1 billion." They got it well underway so if Republicans were to be elected, it couldn't be blocked!

[@jacktaggart2489]

In retrospect, it is incredible what the Pennsylvania Railroad achieved over a century ago under the visionary leadership if President Alexander Cassatt. A private corporation built the entire line of improvements from Newark to the iconic Pennsylvania Station, plus the East River Tunnels and the NY Connecting Railroad to the N.Y., N.H. and Hartford RR over the iconic Hell's Gate Bridge. Surely some of the new features should be named in honor of the late great Cassatt, rather than some current political functionary.

[@dknowles60]

back then you had no choice but walk horse boat so the rail roads had the money to do it

[@Melvin-r1p]

It is quite stunning that our political leaders of that day couldn't see how essential this was to the nation then and going forward. To leave it to a private company really shows how foolish our collective beliefs are/were in private enterprise so much so to now we're saddled with the world's most expensive costs related to even creating infrastructure--6 times more expensive than China. It's no wonder why everything is falling apart.

[@dknowles60]

@@Melvin-r1p and China Infrastructure falls apart in 5.0 earth quakes

[@whiskeykilo2h429]

@@dknowles60No it’s because the U.S. monetary system at the time wasn’t hijacked until the luciferian Federal Reserve act Dec 24th, 1913. After this coup, the U.S. became a debtor nation.

[@whiskeykilo2h429]

@@Melvin-r1pit’s because of the Federal Reserve Note, not what you stated here. INFLATION. Has nothing to do with private enterprise.

[@karlbrodowsky7744]

The station of the town where I am living has 1100 train movements, in a town with 19000 people. This indicates how much needs to be done to expand rail infrastructure in the NYC area. Good that this project is moving ahead...

[@ChatGPT1111]

1100 'movements'. What the heck is that? And is that per hour, per week, per century?

[@jimshoe402]

@@ChatGPT1111 How about Work at Home..Waste like Hawaii Tram $20B wasted ..

[@walkingconifer]

@@jimshoe402 not a waste for politicians and special interests

[@workout1520]

@@walkingconifer Bingo. The politicians are all in on trillion dollar 18th century technology because of the kickback/bribery/control it gives the politicians.

[@yolo_burrito]

I love how in neither NY nor NJ transit maps the other exists.

[@TheCinderDude]

its rlly annoying as a commuter tbh.

[@pbinnj3250]

Wait. What a New York? (Signed New Jersey guy.)

[@daniels7907]

It's so distinctly American that such crucial infrastructure is left to gradually decay over more than a *century* before people finally give in and acknowledge that it needs to be modernized. If you've been to NJ/NY and seen the existing rails, bridges and tunnels they look appallingly unsafe. Old concrete has crumbled, iron has rusted, and even the trains are shockingly primitive compared to more modern rail lines elsewhere. I remember a Brazilian business associate commenting that if this is the "First World" then he was not impressed.

[@thejoshman3843]

its not really an american thing to have century plus roads getting old. sadly america is too busy funding NATO & ukraine to invest in itself. thats what happens when voters vote blue no matter who. really its a liberal democrat problem as their cities crumble away while democrats fund foreign adventures & foreign invaders.

[@walkingconifer]

Because most of the infra is government owned

[@daniels7907]

@@walkingconifer - You'll find that the private sector prefers it that way. Libertarian talk aside, most businesses are trying to reduce the amount of physical infrastructure they have to pay for, not increase it.

[@NotMyProblem711]

​@@walkingconiferOther countries have government owned infrastructure and are far better. We chose not to invest in it so when we do it's very expensive

[@walkingconifer]

@@NotMyProblem711 I believe the NY metro infra was built by private companies and confiscated by democracy

[@Weesperbuurt]

The US is decades behind the curve.

[@captainkeyboard1007]

Just like New York City is way behind.

[@stephendoherty8291]

So is the 🇬🇧 UK, Australia, Canada. So mostly the English speaking G8.

[@starventure]

@@Railoffroader2 No it isn't. America starts west of the Delaware and ends at the California border.

[@workout1520]

What Curve? Collectivist ideas of mass transit are so 2015. What does Communist collectivism and transportation systems have in common? Collectivism vs individualism. Spare us your marxist drivel about how 18th century technology is so cool. Throw in all the horrible subway crime and you can keep your 18th century technology.

[@starventure]

@@Railoffroader2 How else would you call it?

[@kc10man]

Would be nice to go from DC to NYC without getting stuck in train traffic outside the Big Apple

[@word42069]

would be nice to go from NJ to NYC (and back) without getting stuck in train traffic inside and outside of NYC.

[@BetterTextLex]

Although the project is already two years behind schedule, I am confident the GDC will be able to complete the project at a cost that is tens of billions of dollars over budget once the largest contracts are awarded.

[@angryfan370]

Can you name a single recent construction project that went below budget

[@castorkat4868]

@@angryfan370 In NJ every Democrat will be getting rich off this one Its how NJ operates

[@mitsuyamaeda-railfan]

Considering railroad crossing accidents, transportation efficiency, and seat width, I would like to see the trains maintained according to Japanese Shinkansen standards. And if it is a Shinkansen standard, it can also be used for European vehicles.

[@nick21614]

Best we can do is crazy people yelling into the air while smoking crack and homeless people taking dumps in the corner

[@Thesmellofrain-h6o]

Not in the US. I’m afraid people will do their best to the ruin the new trains. The cost to ride should be high enough that the hooligans wont ride.

[@junsu21]

lol, keep dreaming. this is the USA of course. we aren't as well trained as japanese people

[@robertlunderwood]

​@@Thesmellofrain-h6o Hooligans don't ride Amtrak in the northeast; it's too expensive and the buses are far cheaper.

[@Elkcib]

It will be ready in year 3024

[@kevinburke9940]

Hahaha, now now, be nice.

[@MrBestard]

that is a pretty good prediction. 😂

[@Justice_4_ALL-x6s]

Yes, by 3024 the country will be called The United Federation of China.

[@hazelady5068]

😂😂😂😂😊

[@jonathanfactor6688]

I can't wait until it is done

[@kev6794]

England built two tunnels under the Thames river from 2021 and set to finish in 2025. Tunnel boring machine moves 59 feet a day. That’s over 21k feet in a year.

[@travelswithminky246]

50 years behind other countries but i guess better than nothing?

[@TheRailwayDrone]

Why do you think that is?

[@travelswithminky246]

@@TheRailwayDrone automobile industry and it's lobbyists. corruption.

[@rubim9600]

@@TheRailwayDrone because the money all goes to wars

[@TheRailwayDrone]

@@rubim9600 Well, that's definitely true, but I was wondering what reason he thought.

[@whatafreakinusername]

@@rubim9600 No,we have the money, the politicians don't want to spend it. We spend a lot on the military here but public transportation would only be a fraction of that.

[@AguadillaCGN]

if they would think about future, the new tunnel would have 1 or 2 station for nj transit on the left side in Hoboken and / or union city

[@brucehain]

The "Box" was necessitated by the selling off of a tunnel easement at 31st Street in 2015, which would have provided a superior alignment into the station. The easement was procured around 1910 along with a similar one at 33rd Street, as the need for two additional trans-Hudson tunnels was foreseen. Both the lateral and vertical alignment of the currently-planned tunnel are extremely problematic, and I can't say it's not willful, deliberate.

[@michaelrmurphy2734]

Always people in the past were more forward thinking than anyone now...

[@macarthuralexander7215]

Wow! Long overdue. This is a great way to get America on track in the North East.

[@edwincancelii2917]

When it comes to my first hometown, I love progress.

[@freddiecarr7602]

Thank you again Gov Christie for cancelling the ARC TUNNELL!!. It would have been behind schedule and over budget but DONE! Now we have this and DEI to deal with---good luck.

[@billiebobbienorton2556]

And is support (until recently) of donnie t rump.....

[@cliffordporteriii6625]

Yeah. Thank you Chris Christie. 🤡🤡It’d been built by now. 👍🏽😎🇺🇸🚃

[@ChatGPT1111]

He spent the money on fried chicken.....for himself.

[@ChatGPT1111]

@@billiebobbienorton2556what, are you trying to help him or hinder him? Everybody loves Trump now, especially since every single lie about Trump has been exposed as a Hillary Biden coverup.

[@kc10man]

Least popular governor ever. Still like seeing his belly roll waddle on to a GOP stage though. Wonder what it would be like to go on a cruise with him and his wife and share the same cabin. No Chris I'm not pushing my twin next to yours because you roll in your sleep. Also where the heck is your CPAP machine?

[@andrewdutton3831]

The cost overruns on this will be breathtaking.

[@jhardman4534]

Love it, DO IT.

[@robinperronjones5024]

The US is so far behind other similar countries it’s embarrassing, $$16 billion, this is an insane cost, to much politics, to much time to complete, greed and corruption. It never ends.

[@kennethajohnson8998]

We Need These Improvements and I Know These Projects Will Help and Boost Our Economy!, It,s Not Perfect But Necessary!😊🎉

[@johndeltuvia7892]

In NJ it's pronounced "new-erk". "new-ahrk" is in Delaware.

[@ericsimandl3998]

Probably an AI narrator.

[@distar97]

Sounds like a robot voice, not so good with place pronunciations.

[@clamato54]

Haha, it's also pronounced "Ton-nell-E." "Ton-nell" is somewhere in France.

[@ChatGPT1111]

AI narrator, just like 90% of these nowadays.

[@rogerwhittemore9950]

I wonder how the AI would pronounce "Moonachie"? 😆😆

[@garyh.2487]

Can't wait to see this $160BN Mega Railway. (No typo!).

[@raybarry4307]

Being built by the same people that have been fixing the BQE for about 437 years now (give or take a decade). Only slightly a typo.

[@matcao9962]

Yes, all these big projects always cost 10 times the original budget.

[@ErenKarakasli]

We're alreaady half a century behind many other countries in terms of infrastructure. This plan was proposed in 2011 and then approved in 2012 after Hurricane sandy, meaning its been more than 12 years now and still no progress and proper initiative has been taken towards the project. In my opinion having a railway between Philadelphia and New York City would be really profitable as there are a lot of people going in and out of work, school, etc through Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. Besides there are also plenty of cities in between such as Trenton, Princeton, New Brunswick, Edison, Elizabeth, Newark, and Jersey City. Commercially speaking it would be huge business. In fact I'd also suggest to add in extension lines out of bigger cities like New York City, Philadelphia, and perhaps even Newark, to connect smaller and or more isolated cities and settlements into this network hub as well. For example, there can be an extension line connecting Long Island to NYC, thus directly connection Long Island to Philadelphia (I know the LIR already exists) and perhaps making an extension line out of Philadelphia to connect big isolated cities and settlements like Allentown and Harrisburg to Philadelphia, thus building a direct route between Allentown and Harrisburg to NYC. I mean all of this could've still been possible if they would reopen the West Trenton train station to transit into New Jersey and New York. The West Trenton train station in New Jersey only provides transportation back and forth to Philly and nowehere beyond West Trenton into New Jersey, but around 40 years ago that station was open to transportation to NJ and NY connecting Philadelphia to New York City. Other than that I believe an even greater project could be made to out compete Amtrak, a project connecting Boston to Washington DC (northeastern corridor) which would include major cities such as New York City, Jersey City, Newark, Philadelphia, and Baltimore along the way. Generally speaking the US is far behind of most European countries in terms of train infrastructure (yes I understand the US is far larger than any European country) but with the current technology and equipment we have in this day and age it shouldn't be a problem

[@lailasalas]

What A Great Idea Amtrak And NJT Commuters Will Move Faster And Save Travel Time

[@castorkat4868]

wonder if we'll need the military there to stop the endless crime ?

[@OceanStateRail]

Hopefully this modernization/revitalization will decrease travel times throughout the northeast corridor.

[@andrewdouglasingram]

This project started out at around $3 just around 10 years ago. Now it's $16 billion. Look for it to finish at $32 billion plus when it's done in 20 years.

[@acsupersport7981]

This program needs to happen ASAP especially since the 2026 World Cup is coming in fast, it won't be done by then but still

[@captainkeyboard1007]

I want the construction to start quick, fast, and in a hurry and to move full steam ahead, all the way to the brazen end.

[@MrSGL21]

why? no one in America gives a fuck about soccer.

[@stephendoherty8291]

@@MrSGL21 but the fans coming to see what a developed democratic country will see it and go home and laugh and tell jokes

[@starventure]

@@stephendoherty8291 Greasies and Mohos laughing at their own jokes is nothing to be worried about. And Euros are on the edge of losing their toy trains if the US pulls out of NATO.

[@trapezemusic]

What are realistic timetables for completion of various segments of this huge project?

[@AlexanderSchreiber]

The TBMs are most assuredly not guided by GPS directly, given that they are operating underground. Where GPS is known to .. not work at all for obvious reasons.

[@ewnyMetroExpress]

My great great grand children might get to see half of the construction built.

[@deepnation10009]

Tonnelle is pronounced ton-nelly.

[@arthurbilenker2622]

It's ai talking, not a person.

[@deepnation10009]

@@arthurbilenker2622 LOL! Wouldn't you think the AI would would pronounce words properly?

[@MrSloika]

@@deepnation10009 AI needs to learn...be programmed. If no one corrects it, it will keep making mistakes.

[@erikx1111]

As somebody from Jersey, the way he said Tonnelle made me cringe.

[@TheNotehead]

Having lived in NJ nearly all of my life, I am fairly certain that NJTransit is one of the worst-performing major transit organizations in the country. Trains are constantly late, they frequently break down, and they are visibly in horrible shape. Fortunately, there's very little road traffic getting in and out of NYC...oh wait, I meant to say that the road traffic is so soul-crushing and insufferable that it makes thousands of people actually deal with the awful trains!

[@aoilpe]

It needs to be done !

[@eileencoffey6657]

Some parts of the project are well underway, especially the portal bridge. What really needs to happen on the NYC side is moving MSG.

[@WillsJazzLoft]

It might be a good idea to reserve one pair of tunnels for use exclusively by NJT and the remaining pair for use by Amtrak. In the event of some contingency shutting down one pair of tunnels, the authorities could shift traffic to the operational tunnel

[@pbinnj3250]

Just an FYI. Tonnelle Avenue (pronounced “Tòn nelly”) is one of the ugliest roads in America. Route 22 tried to overtake that title but failed because it passes a lake and park, but it certainly tried. It’s hard to explain why, but imagine a 45 MPH road that is two lanes each way with Jersey Barriers, that passes an assortment of the ugliest warehouses, truck parking lots, eateries (some good, weirdly), motels that look infectious from the road, retail businesses that sell who knows what, what look like bars, unusual religious institutions, and intersecting neighborhood roads and exit roads with no traffic lights.

[@castorkat4868]

also one of the mOST dangerous roads in the USA

[@SamsonOhsem]

Amazing railway station

[@giantgeoff]

Cutting edge technology, very good! I see what you did there!😅

[@juanjaquez3752]

It will give this region an economic advantage

[@distar97]

We need 2x more rail access but will be lucky to get 1/2.

[@DJLevitz]

I thought the new Northeast highER speed rail plan will take it north through Hartford and Springfield then onto Boston? Is this correct?

[@sho8631]

Can you please put up window walls along your subway platforms like they do in Seoul and Tokyo? It amazes me no safety features like this in NYC. Much easier to fall or be pushed onto the tracks without these.

[@ChatGPT1111]

Yep, Koreans and Japanese don't even push each other onto tracks and they still have em.

[@robertlunderwood]

The platforms are so old that they can't install walls; they weigh too much.

[@TommyTheWalker]

Why not build a tunnel like the one being built in Denmark to Sweden which will have been done in 7 years. It would take a much shorter time because it'd be much shorter. The European tunnel will is being built using concrete section the are being sunk onto a trench piece by piece. The best part you can have 5 tunnels for the price of one, each section can have rail and car traffic.

[@colinfagan539]

It's not "New-ark" when you are in NJ. It's "Nork".

[@thegiggler2]

Is the growth of people commuting to Manhattan even occurring these days?

[@word42069]

yes and already the system’s been beyond capacity for decades now.

[@jonathanng2390]

Can’t wait until it is complete… In 2212…

[@Anewuser_6282]

😂

[@chrisbraswell8864]

At 50 times the price.

[@pbworld7858]

I look forward to seeing this start operation next century. I just hope it won't have rat problems.

[@bobbomaizer1654]

So why only single track tunnels as when completed will become obsolete do to thee amount of traffic as claimed ?

[@paulhefner2813]

ny has so many serious problems. i doubt that the rail problems will keep ny residents in ny

[@kc10man]

It's never about what the residents need. Bankers need to get to work.

[@aoilpe]

This project is also for the nation, not only for the NY-NJ area…

[@gravelydon7072]

@@aoilpe Not really. NY is losing population and the rest of the US does not benefit from the NEC expansion. In fact it takes monies away from Amtrak's other needs. Like getting equipment in shape for longer distance runs. Like restoring the Sunset Limited from NOLA to at least Orlando. If there is a storm in NC, SC, or Georgia, Florida gets cut off from any Amtrak service. And Florida now has a high speed rail line that wasn't built with the government owning it.

[@peterquennellnyc]

@@gravelydon7072 "(1) NY is losing population and (2) the rest of the US does not benefit from the NEC expansion". Two misleading statements. (1) Many leaving NY state are from upstate; and its the SUCCESS of the greater NYC economy that is driving up costs. (2) The north east is THE economic engine of the US, and transfers many billions in revenue to economically struggling Red states. Huge numbers of highly educated highly productive Manhattan workers will use the new tunnels to get to work.

[@JoseLRodriguez]

How about a high speed line between JFK and Grand Central/Penn Station?

[@hirampriggott1689]

NYC can't even get a train between Manhattan and LGA.

[@gobbletegook]

How can they make the tunnel entrances and exits waterproof, when they need to go underground...and the rest of it is below sea (water) level of the river above? No land to build islands like they did for the Chesapeake bridge and tunnel.

[@robertw.previdi5450]

This is not pioneering - it is not transformational - it just adding capacity. In fact, the plans are tied to building 8 new platform tracks at Penn Station and a NY Post story from December shows that part of the project is going to cost $17 billion. What is needed is a new vision that connects the operations of all three commuter rail systems that today operate in their own silos and recreate a regional vision that makes seamless travel from one end of the region to the other. This project as designed falls far short of that vision. We need a new pair of Hudson River tunnels, yes, but we also need a vision for connecting the NY region the way London and Paris have been able to achieve. The LIRR just built a similar 11 billion dollar 8-track terminal far below Grand Central, because Metro-North didn't want to share the main station, and only 50,000 passengers a day use it. While London just opened the Queen Elizabeth Line during COVID-19 and this two-track line moves 600,000 per day, more than the total ridership of the LIRR NJTransit and Metro North combined. No, we are way behind the rest of the world on visionary thinking.

[@eriklakeland3857]

Hit the nail on the head about the importance of through running. It is madness to continue to build stub end terminals in NYC. Madness and stupidity.

[@EllieMaes-Grandad]

Back in the mid-1980s, British Railways conceived and implemented the idea of NetworkSouthEast, interconnecting all the lower-right coner of UK, train services crossing London. It was a very useful scheme, subsequently ruined by political ideology, but many services continue to cross London usefully, without terminating there.

[@peterquennellnyc]

Not sure what's broken. Many London "tube" trains are stuffed to bursting. And "only 50,000 passengers a day use it" is misleading. They would have arrived at Penn Station otherwise and then have to find their way back to NE midtown, where a lot of new construction is planned.

[@robertw.previdi5450]

@@peterquennellnyc 600,000 a day are using the new Elizabeth line in London, while only 50,000 are using the LIRR station at Grand Central in NYC. This is because the Elizebeth Line is connected from one end of the London suburbs in the west to two destinations in the east London suburbs. Gateway and the new LIRR terminal should be connected. 36% of NJ Transit riders want access to NE midtown. Why force them off at Penn and have them crowd the subway? That is what I wish to convey. Not only would a connect to GCT help, but also through-running to Long Island, the Bronx, Westchester and Connecticut would provide a one seat ride suburb to suburb.

[@peterquennellnyc]

@@robertw.previdi5450 I dont disagree - but I've seen it all before. There WERE proposals to extend Gateway to Park Avenue x 34th Street subway area and in years to come that could still happen. Subway to NJ too. No lack of foresight as you imply. It does take cash. You omit that Manhattan's walking distances are smaller, I walk twice daily between Port Authority and UN. And Elizabeth Line is apples and oranges. Most tiny London tubes still bulge... hmmm... maybe lack of foresight there :-)

[@MyDogSteppedOnaBeee]

Takes some countries much faster to create, but milking that contract I see 🤑

[@christopherharris3825]

It's "Newerk" NJ. New-ark is in DE.

[@andrewdouglasingram]

Are you a project designer? NEWARK

[@Justice_4_ALL-x6s]

the USA has a Third World Transportation system... What ever happened to the Bullet Train Plans from New York to California?

[@timothykeith1367]

There was an assault train ban

[@Ray03595]

our politicians hate us and would rather spend that money on foreign wars and terror.

[@nyerc7508]

I've been directly involved with these projects for the last 30 years! IT'S. ABOUT. TIME. !!

[@frankbell4884]

What about extending the Jersey light rail and adding a bus tunnel into the Port Authority 41st St. building?

[@JustAnotherPoorSlob]

@0:08 Am I imagining it, or are you pronouncing Newark NJ the way you should pronounce Newark Del (they are not pronounced the same).

[@SciTrekMan]

It’s due to that ever-awful AI narration.

[@07szim]

if theyre building a high speed train, maybe they should build it away from the coastline... just a thought...

[@EV-wp1fj]

"Connecting NEWH-HWARKK" (And this is how you know you have an AI voice)

[@johnporter4628]

I wonder about the wisdom and foresight of the Hudson Yards development given how complicates the rail project. I guess there is no getting in the way of projects that can make a few people tons of money, over those that help the masses.

[@markmaugle4599]

How fast will “high speed” be? If it’s less than >150mph it was not designed correctly.

[@ooyginyardel4835]

Eventually people will ask, ‘where did the money go?’. And the job will never get done.

[@henryblicharz5556]

By the time this project is completed,half of the people who use this corridor will No longer need it for working on a daily basis !

[@PerrySmith-w9r]

I'm thinking that there should be another two lanes for vehicles to allow freight to get into the city.

[@Buc_Stops_Here]

The initial attempt to build this tunnel was canceled and was called Access to the Region’s Core by Chris Christie in 2010 before the hurricane because of the escalating cost. It was originally going to cost $8.7 billion and went to $12 billion so he got rid of it. Now we have the desperation of the Gateway Program which costs $16.1 billion. The backward thinking approach over a decade ago resulted in this monumental challenge to replace the rapidly deteriorating original tunnel which is now 100 years old. As mentioned in the video as soon as this new tunnel is in place, the old one will be closed to be rebuilt completely due to the salt water corrosion which is causing it to rapidly fail with outages regularly occurring on weekends to patch it up.

[@peterquennellnyc]

Christie SAID it was for escalating costs, but NJ's part was small - and he used the funds earmarked for the tunnel for Republican pork projects.

[@Buc_Stops_Here]

@@peterquennellnyc I know - left that out. It was very short sighted at the time and now the region is paying for it with terrible service. I lived in NJ when this happened. Fortunately, now I live in CT and don't have to deal with the awful 100-year-old runnel.

[@geniferteal4178]

2:07 see that map? Try saying Penn Station Newark and Penn Station New York. Imagine not getting confused the first time you are here? 😢

[@lexisnow3243]

do you know when this project will be completed?

[@MrBestard]

You need a fortune teller

[@tyb9975]

2070

[@jquas1965]

New York Citys big dig.

[@gregobern6084]

Expanding the subway system to include freight would revolutionize New York City

[@jking5772]

Most likely scenario : It’s gonna take about 20 years , lotta mishaps, more cost than anticipated and still not improved traffic.

[@geniferteal4178]

New Arc? At least the AI still gives us a few clues. I worry when there are none. 😢

[@ChatGPT1111]

That WAS the clue 😂😂😂

[@mcrane2653]

Why not just reconnect service to Phillipsburg from Newark and take tons of traffic off route 78

[@rpereira_pt_uk]

I'm sorry if I may fire up some people... What is being here is not much different to what was done in Chicago and what other countries are doing, mainly china... Boring a tunnel under the Hudson is a technical challenge???? What do you mean? This is big and hard but it is nowhere near rocket science, get The Boring Company in!!!

[@dknowles60]

no it is very easy

[@IndustrialParrot2816]

The soil under the Hudson River is surprisingly difficult to tunnel under

[@gabe8976]

lol you said big and hard

[@matcao9962]

If they do not say so, how could they get $16bn? Though it may become $160bn at the end.

[@chriskelly6559]

Ain't enough money available to fix a quarter of infrastructure that needs it. Failing water systems with lead pipes, failing federal government computer systems, rail construction, inner city schools, updated equipment for airport control towers and the people to staff them, highway/interstate road maintenance, etc. Throw in the money that would be wasted (stolen by fraud), cost overruns, approved over budget projects ( no bid contracts), it just piles up.

[@povertyspec9651]

What goods are transported through these tunnels?

[@NotMyProblem711]

People

[@michaelfriedman2221]

You pronounced Newark wrong lol

[@HughCorbyCruick]

Guaranteed to go billions over the already huge projected budget.

[@scrat4379]

Yup, the Amtrak(or Federal Dept of Transportation) Office of Inspector General released a report recently warning about cost overruns due to management "inefficiency".

[@ThereWillBeCake]

Clarion call!

[@labcoattheater6161]

I'm happy progress is being made here but it's unfortunate we need disasters like hurricane Sandy to get us to act. If we were proactive, it would be cheaper and better planned. Will it solve transport problems? No, but it's a start in the right direction. Traffic and roads are a big issue. We need to somehow reduce the amount of cars on roadways rather than build bigger roads to accommodate more cars. Our love affairs with our cars is our own undoing. And yes I am guilty of this.

[@meowclesanthony1298]

Know matter what they do Mother Nature will win and create havoc above an below ground

[@bobmckeown7453]

You can be sure the project will cost at least double when taking inflation and corruption into account.

[@yuanyuan4321]

why not first building intra-NYC tunnel into Staten Island to benefit all New Yorkers? Don't make sense to build cross state corridor ahead of it? It looks SI needs to move into NJ state.

[@scrat4379]

Would that be a two level tunnel? One for "R" train extension to the Staten Island Railway and the lower level for freight trains to connect the Bay Ridge rail yard to Howland Hook Marine terminal and Arthur Kill lift bridge?

[@valerianpantsulia5137]

cool/////////////////

[@EllieMaes-Grandad]

NYC's guests will take so much that money will no longer be available for such a project. 'Tent cities' don't come cheap . . .

[@NOMOone]

Somebody wake us when there is even 1 bullet train here in this supposed first world nation. We almost forgot, playing world cop and sending money overseas is more important. Smh

[@jerryli5555]

This country likes to brag but not take action. Other countries take a night to complete a project, but this country takes decades.

[@hazelady5068]

This is good and bad cost of living in Newark will explode 🤯

[@TWOCOWS1]

Grand. But how about that rathole, the "new" Penn Station trash? Is someone going to replace that with something welcoming and airy like the old jewel that was there?

[@NotMyProblem711]

Amtrak has Moynihan and part of the old penn station has been refurbished. NJ transit didn't want to cough up money, so their side is still the same

[@tobygoodguy4032]

How did the dinosaurs build the original infrastructure without all these "marvels".

[@rodneykantorski736]

16 Billion for all that. The cost overruns on this will make the cost overruns on The Big Dig look like chump change

[@casanova419]

They are building against the clock. That 100+ year old tunnel can collapse at any time and flood. They waited too long.

[@GeeB1]

It's about time! The U.S. is 50 years behind other rich, industrialized, first world countries. The infrastructure in the U.S. is so OUTDATED and DECAYING.

[@raphytejadax2]

ironically enough the bridge isn’t pronounced the “ton-elle” bridge it’s pronounced like “tunnelly”

[@walkingconifer]

So where should I buy a house?

[@ceediddy925]

Animators of the Tonnelle bridge should consider Ritalin