Madison Square Garden won't move under new Penn Station plan picked by Trump administration

A selected design for a rebuilt Penn Station keeps Madison Square Garden at its current location while removing the 5,000-seat Infosys Theater to make space for a new Eighth Avenue entrance and train hall. The plan targets a “brand-new, world-class station” serving about 600,000 travelers a day, including Long Island Rail Road riders. It calls for a grand entrance on Eighth Avenue, replacement of cramped walkways with open, beautiful concourses, and expanded track capacity. It also introduces limited through-running, potentially allowing westbound LIRR trains to continue past Penn, across the tunnel, and into New Jersey. The project is being led by Amtrak, with the selected design and build team Penn Transformation Partners.

"Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Amtrak, which owns Penn, announced Wednesday that it had selected the proposal by Penn Transformation Partners, formed by Halmar International, a subsidiary of Italian infrastructure firm ASTM and the Skanska development company, to design and build a "brand-new, world-class station" serving about 600,000 travelers a day, including on the Long Island Rail Road."

"The vision includes plans for a "grand entrance" to a new train hall on Eighth Avenue, the replacement of cramped walkways with "open, beautiful concourses," expanded track capacity and the introduction of "limited through-running" which could mean that westbound LIRR trains would continue past Penn, across the tunnel, and into New Jersey."

"Among the various proposals submitted to project officials were ones that would have required the demolition and relocation of Madison Square Garden, which has sat on top of Penn Station since the 1960s, making for cramped quarters and limited natural light in the 116-year-old transit hub."

"The Trump administration - which seized control of the project from New York State and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in 2025 and gave it to Amtrak to run - ultimately decided to leave MSG where it is, but the plan calls for the removal of the 5,000-seat Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden to make space for the new Eighth Avenue entrance and train hall."

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