USDOT names Byford head of NY Penn Station project

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy yesterday announced Andy Byford will oversee the New York Penn Station redevelopment effort. Byford will serve as a special adviser, reporting directly to Amtrak's board.

Byford is the former head of MTA New York City Transit (NYCT); more recently, he has been a senior vice president at Amtrak. Prior to NYCT, Byford held leadership roles at major metropolitan transportation systems in Toronto, London and Sydney.

“We’re thrilled to have Andy oversee the redevelopment and modernization of this vital transit hub. Andy shares our dedication to keeping costs down and completing this project on time. Together we’ll work to deliver a brand-new Penn Station that is safe, clean, and worthy of the American people," Duffy said in a press release.

Last month, Duffy said the Federal Railroad Administration would remove the Metropolitan Transportation Authority from leading the Penn Station project. Instead, Amtrak, backed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, will lead the project.

With Byford now at the helm, he will pursue the Trump administration's goals with the project, including renovating and modernizing the station; increasing concourse capacity and access; enabling safer and more efficient station operations; and accommodating passenger-service expansion, Duffy said.