Media Kit » Try RailPrime™ Today! »
Progressive Railroading
Newsletter Sign Up
Stay updated on news, articles and information for the rail industry



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.




  railPrime
            View Current Digital Issue »



Rail News Home Federal Legislation & Regulation

2/10/2026



Rail News: Federal Legislation & Regulation

Judge pauses order to restore Hudson Tunnel funding


The aging Hudson Tunnel tubes are a leading cause of delays for passenger-rail riders. Any further reductions in service through the tunnel would have massive negative impacts on the region and the national economy, Gateway Development Commission officials say.
Photo – Gateway Development Commission.

advertisement

The Trump administration yesterday won a reprieve from a federal judge's order that required the U.S. Department of Transportation to release funding for the $16 billion Hudson Tunnel project.

U.S. District Judge Jeannette Vargas on Monday issued a temporary stay on her Feb. 6 decision ordering the government to resume disbursement of previously awarded grant and loan funds for the project. The government, which suspended the funding in October 2025, is appealing her initial order.

The Gateway Development Commission, the project's manager, shut down construction on Feb. 6 because the federal government owes more than $200 million in disbursements. About 1,000 workers were laid off because of the construction pause, commission officials have said.

The project calls for construction of new and rehabilitation of old passenger-rail tunnel tubes that run under the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey.

The Trump administration has reportedly indicated the funding stream would be restored if U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) would back renaming New York Penn Station and Washington Dulles International Airport after President Donald Trump. Schumer has long been an advocate of the Hudson Tunnel project. 

The Gateway Commission, New York and New Jersey officials have sued the federal government for halting the project's federal funding. Gateway Commission CEO Thomas Prendergast has said the longer the project is delayed, the more expensive it will become.



Contact Progressive Railroading editorial staff.

More News from 2/10/2026