North River Tunnels

The PRR had consolidated its control of railroads in New Jersey with the lease of United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company in 1871, extending its network from Philadelphia northward to Jersey City. Crossing the Hudson River remained an obstacle; to the east, the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) ended at the East River, and in both situations, passengers had to transfer to ferries to Manhattan. This put the PRR at a disadvantage relative to its arch competitor, the New York Central Railroad, which already served Manhattan from the north, and did not need to cross the rivers that flank Manhattan.{{Schafer-Pennsylvania-2009 | pages=61–64}}

After unsuccessfully trying to create a bridge over the Hudson River, the PRR and the LIRR developed several proposals for improved regional rail access in 1892, as part of the New York Tunnel Extension project. The proposals included new tunnels between Jersey City and Manhattan, and possibly one to Brooklyn; a new terminal in Midtown Manhattan for both the PRR and LIRR, completion of the Hudson Tubes (later called PATH), and a bridge proposal. These proposals finally came to fruition at the turn of the century, when the PRR created subsidiaries to manage the project. The Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York Railroad, incorporated on February 13, 1902, was to oversee construction of the North River Tunnels. The PNJ&NY would also be in charge of the Meadows Division, which would handle the construction of the North River Tunnel approaches on the New Jersey side of the Hudson River.{{cite book |title=History of the Engineering Construction and Equipment of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company's New York Terminal and Approaches |last=Couper |first=William. |year=1912 |publisher=Isaac H. Blanchard Co. |location=New York |pages=[https://archive.org/details/historyengineer00unkngoog/page/n30 7]–16 |url=https://archive.org/details/historyengineer00unkngoog}}

The original proposal for the PRR and LIRR terminal in Midtown Manhattan, published in June 1901, called for the construction of a bridge across Hudson River between 45th and 50th Streets in Manhattan, as well as two closely spaced terminals for the LIRR and PRR. This would enable passengers to travel between Long Island and New Jersey without changing trains.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1901/06/26/archives/north-river-bridge-plan-pennsylvania-road-negotiating-with-banking.html |title=North River Bridge Plan; Pennsylvania Road Negotiating with Banking Houses |date=June 26, 1901 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=May 22, 2018 |language=en-US}} In December 1901, the plans were modified so that the PRR would construct the North River Tunnels under the Hudson River, instead of building a bridge over it.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1901/12/12/archives/pennsylvanias-tunnel-under-north-river-property-already-acquired.html |title=Pennsylvania's Tunnel Under North River; Property Already Acquired for the Great New York Terminal |date=December 12, 1901 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=May 22, 2018 |language=en-US}} The PRR cited costs and land value as a reason for constructing a tunnel rather than a bridge, since the cost of a tunnel would be one-third that of a bridge. The North River Tunnels themselves would consist of between two and four steel tubes with a diameter of {{Convert|18.5|to|19.5|ft|m}}.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1901/12/13/archives/pennsylvanias-tunnel-a-submerged-bridge-new-york-terminal-to-be-a.html |title=Pennsylvania's Tunnel A Submerged Bridge; New York Terminal to be a Magnificent Structure |date=December 13, 1901 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=May 22, 2018 |language=en-US}} The New York Tunnel Extension quickly gained opposition from the New York City Board of Rapid Transit Commissioners, who objected that they would not have jurisdiction over the new tunnels, as well as from the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, which saw the New York Tunnel Extension as a potential competitor to its own, then incomplete, rapid transit service.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1902/03/21/archives/more-opposition-to-pennsylvanias-bill-rapid-transit-commissioners.html |title=More Opposition To Pennsylvania's Bill; Rapid Transit Commissioners Will Appear Against It |date=March 21, 1902 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=May 22, 2018 |language=en-US}} The project was approved by the New York City Board of Aldermen in December 1902, with a 41–36 vote. The North and East River Tunnels were to be built under the beds of their respective rivers, and the PRR and LIRR lines would converge at New York Penn Station, an expansive Beaux-Arts edifice situated between 31st and 33rd Streets in Manhattan. The entire project was expected to cost over $100 million.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1902/12/17/archives/pennsylvania-tunnel-franchise-passed-aldermen-approve-the-grant-by.html |title=Pennsylvania Tunnel Franchise Passed |date=December 17, 1902 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=May 22, 2018 |language=en-US}}

File:North Rvr Tunnel - N tube shield 1905.jpg

Led by Chief Engineer Charles M. Jacobs, the tunnel design team began work in 1902.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1902/01/23/archives/tunnel-engineers-named-commission-of-experts-appointed-for.html |title=Tunnel Engineers Named; Commission of Experts Appointed for Pennsylvania Railroad's Proposed Route Under New York Harbor |date=1902 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=May 22, 2018 |language=en-US}} The contract for building the North River Tunnels was awarded to O'Rourke Engineering Construction Company in 1904.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1904/03/12/archives/orourke-will-build-pennsylvania-tunnel-new-york-firm-gets-contract.html |title=O'Rourke Will Build Pennsylvania Tunnel |date=March 12, 1904 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=May 22, 2018 |language=en-US}} Originally, the tunnel would have comprised three tubes, but this was later downsized to two tubes.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-TE-AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA456 |title=Brooklyn Daily Eagle Almanac ...: A Book of Information, General of the World, and Special of New York City and Long Island ... |last=Herries |first=W. |publisher=Brooklyn Daily Eagle |year=1906 |page=456 |access-date=May 22, 2018}} The first construction work comprised the digging of two shafts: one just east of 11th Avenue a few hundred yards east of the river's eastern shore; and a larger one in Weehawken, a few hundred yards west of the river's western shore. Construction on the Weehawken Shaft started in June 1903. It was completed in September 1904 as a concrete-walled rectangular pit, {{convert|56|by|116|ft|1|abbr=on}} at the bottom and {{convert|76|ft|1|abbr=on}} deep.{{cite book |last=Mills |first=William Wirt |title=Pennsylvania Railroad tunnels and terminals in New York City |publisher=Moses King |date=1908 |url=https://archive.org/stream/pennsylvaniarail00mill/pennsylvaniarail00mill_djvu.txt |access-date=May 22, 2018}}

When the shafts were complete, O'Rourke began work on the tunnels proper. The project was divided into three parts, each managed by a resident engineer: the "Terminal Station" in Manhattan; the "River Tunnels", east from the Weehawken Shaft and under the Hudson River; and the Bergen Hill tunnels, west from the Weehawken Shaft to the tunnel portals on the west side of the Palisades.{{cite journal |last=Jacobs |first=Charles M. |date=Sep 1910 |title=The New York Tunnel Extension of the Pennsylvania Railroad, The North River Division. |url=http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18548/18548-h/18548-h.htm |journal=Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers |publisher=American Society of Civil Engineers |volume=LXVIII |access-date=October 7, 2014}}{{rp|45}} The tunnels were built with drilling and blasting techniques and tunnelling shields, which were placed at three locations and driven towards each other. The shields proceeded west from Manhattan, east and west from Weehawken, and east from the Bergen portals.{{cite book |chapter=The North River Division |title=History of the Engineering Construction and Equipment of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company's New York Terminal and Approaches |last=Hewett |first=B.H.M. |year=1912 |publisher=Isaac H. Blanchard Co. |location=New York |pages=35–53 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1Vs5AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA35}}

File:Bergen Hill Tunnel construction.png

Under the river itself, the tunnels started in rock, using drill and blast, but the strata under the river was pure mud for a considerable depth. As a result, this part was driven under compressed air, using 194-ton shields that met about {{convert|3000|ft|m}} from the Weehawken and Manhattan portals. The mud was such that the shield was shoved forward without taking any ground; however, it was found that the shield was easier to steer if some mud was taken in through holes at the front, since the mud had the consistency of toothpaste. After the tubes had been excavated, they were lined with {{convert|2.5|ft|m|adj=mid|-wide}} segmental cast-iron rings, each weighing 22 tons. The segments were bolted together and lined with {{convert|22|in|cm}} of concrete.{{cite magazine |title=Opening of the Pennsylvania Terminal Station in New York |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_oI3AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA200 |date=September 10, 1910 |magazine=Scientific American |volume=103 |issue=11 |pages=200–201}} The two ends of the northern tube under the river met in September 1906; at that time it was the longest underwater tunnel in the world.{{cite journal |date=September 21, 1906 |title=Meeting of the Pennsylvania Tunnel Shields |journal=The Railway Age |volume=42 |issue=12 |pages=355 |publisher=Wilson Co. |location=Chicago |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t4FNAAAAYAAJ&q=north+river&pg=PA355}}

Meanwhile, the John Shields Construction Company had begun in 1905 to bore through Bergen Hill, the lower Hudson Palisades;{{Cite news |title=Penn. Tunnel Award |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |date=March 14, 1905 |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1905/03/14/120275007.pdf |access-date=February 27, 2011}} William Bradley took over in 1906 and the tunnels to the Hackensack Meadows were completed in April 1908.{{Cite news |title=Final Blast Opens Pennsylvania Tube |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |date=April 9, 1908 |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1908/04/12/104722404.pdf |access-date=February 27, 2011}}{{Cite news |title=Another Tube Through |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |date=April 11, 1908 |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1908/04/11/104801113.pdf |access-date=February 27, 2011}}

File:PCPOST HudsonRiverTubes 1907.png

File:PostcardJamestownPennaRailroadSystemAtJamestownExpo1907.jpg

The tunnels opened November 27, 1910, when the New York Tunnel Extension to New York Penn Station opened.{{Cite Cudahy-Hudson}}{{rp|37}} Until then, PRR trains used the PRR main line to Exchange Place in Jersey City, New Jersey. The New York Tunnel Extension branched off from the original line two miles northeast of Newark, then ran northeast across the Jersey Meadows to the North River Tunnels and New York Penn.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1910/11/27/archives/pennsylvania-opens-its-great-station-first-regular-train-sent.html |title=Pennsylvania Opens Its Great Station; First Regular Train Sent Through the Hudson River Tunnel at Midnight |date=November 27, 1910 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=May 22, 2018 |language=en-US}} The tunnel project included the Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River and the Manhattan Transfer interchange with the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad (now PATH).{{rp|37, 39}} The opening of the North River Tunnels and Penn Station made the PRR the only railroad with direct access to New York City from the south.{{cite web |title=Pennsylvania Railroad Company - American railway |website=Encyclopedia Britannica |date=March 1, 1976 |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Pennsylvania-Railroad-Company}}

In 1967 the Aldene Plan was implemented, allowing trains of the floundering Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) and Reading (RDG) to run to Newark Penn Station, connecting to PRR and PATH trains to New York.{{rp|61}}{{Cite book |last=French |first=Kenneth |title=Images of America:Railroads of Hoboken and Jersey City |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |year=2002 |location=USA |page=30 |url=http://www.arcadiapublsihing.com |isbn=978-0-7385-0966-2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150801054035/http://arcadiapublsihing.com/ |archive-date=August 1, 2015}} The PRR merged into Penn Central Transportation in 1968.{{Cite news |last=Hammer |first=Alexander R. |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1968/01/31/79932636.pdf |title=Court Here Lets Railroads Consolidate Tomorrow |date=January 31, 1968 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=May 22, 2018 |language=en-US}} Penn Central went bankrupt in 1970{{rp|61}} and in 1976 its suburban trains were taken over by Conrail,{{cite web |title=A Brief History of Conrail |publisher=Consolidated Rail Corporation |year=2003 |url=http://www.conrail.com/history.htm |access-date=February 16, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121075513/http://conrail.com/history.htm |archive-date=November 21, 2010}}{{cite web |title=Conrail, The Consolidated Rail Corporation |publisher=American-Rails.com |url=http://www.american-rails.com/conrail.html |access-date=February 16, 2011}} then by NJ Transit in 1983.{{cite news |last=Goldman |first=Ari L. |title=State Agencies Take Command of Conrail Lines |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |date=January 3, 1983 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/03/nyregion/state-agencies-take-command-of-conrail-lines.html}} Penn Central long-distance service (including part of today's Northeast Corridor and Empire Corridor) had been taken over by Amtrak in 1971.Pinkston, Elizabeth (2003). [http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=4571&type=0&sequence=3 "A Brief History of Amtrak."] [http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=4571&type=0&sequence=0 The Past and Future of U.S. Passenger Rail Service.] (Washington, D.C.: U.S. Congressional Budget Office) Amtrak took control of the North River Tunnels in 1976, and NJ Transit started running trains through the tunnels under contract with Amtrak.{{Cite news |last=Sullivan |first=John |title=New Jersey's Amtrak Blues |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |date=June 2, 2002 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/30/nyregion/new-jersey-s-amtrak-blues.html?scp=1&sq=New%20Jersey's%20Amtrak%20Blues&st=cse}}

File:Hackensack portalsimg014.jpg

File:North River Tunnel Portal.jpg, security cameras were installed by the portals.]]

The west portals are in North Bergen, at the west edge of the New Jersey Palisades near the east end of Route 3 at U.S. Route 1/9 ({{coord | 40.7714 | -74.0419 | region:US | display=inline}}). They run beneath North Bergen, Union City, and Weehawken, to the east portals at the east edge of 10th Avenue at 32nd Street in Manhattan. When the top of the Weehawken Shaft was covered is a mystery; the two tracks may have remained open to the sky until catenary was added circa 1932. The two portals on the Manhattan side fanned out into 21 tracks just east of 10th Avenue, serving the platforms at Penn Station. 450 West 33rd Street (now Five Manhattan West), on the east side of 10th Avenue, was built above the east portals in 1969.{{cite web |last1=Cunningham |first1=Cathy |last2=Grossman |first2=Matt |last3=Cunningham |first3=Cathy |title=Brookfield Lands $1.2B Landesbank Loan for 5 Manhattan West |website=Commercial Observer |date=April 13, 2018 |url=https://commercialobserver.com/2018/04/brookfield-scores-1-2b-landesbank-loan-for-5-manhattan-square/ |access-date=November 26, 2018}}{{cite web |title=Ad giant IPG grows to 280K sf at Brookfield's 5 Manhattan West |website=The Real Deal New York |date=January 26, 2015 |url=https://therealdeal.com/2015/01/26/ad-giant-ipg-grows-to-280k-sf-at-brookfields-5-manhattan-west/ |access-date=November 26, 2018}}

The two tubes are mostly straight and are {{Convert|37|ft|m|1}} apart. There are cross-passages spaced every {{convert|300|ft}}. At the Manhattan end, each tube splits into several tracks.{{cite book | title=Rapid Transit In New York City And In Other Great Cities |date=1906 |publisher=Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York |via=Internet Archive | page=37 |chapter=5| chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/rapid-transit-in-new-york-city-and-in-other-great-cities-1906/page/n27/mode/2up?q=%2237+feet%22 | access-date=September 11, 2024}}

The North River Tunnels allow a maximum of 24 crossings per hour each way.{{Cite journal |title=NJ Transit's Response to Shifting Travel Demand in the Aftermath of September 11, 2001 |journal=Travel Trends |volume=3 |publisher=The Alan M. Voorhees Transportation Center |location=New Brunswick |date=Fall 2006 |url=http://policy.rutgers.edu/vtc/reports/REPORTS/traveltrends-winter2006.pdf |access-date=March 8, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720041452/http://policy.rutgers.edu/vtc/reports/REPORTS/traveltrends-winter2006.pdf |archive-date=July 20, 2011}}{{cite web |url=https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/corporate/statefactsheets/NEWJERSEY17.pdf |title=Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2017, State of New Jersey |publisher=Amtrak |date=2017 |access-date=January 1, 2018 |page=3}} Since 2003, the tunnels have operated near capacity during peak hours. The number of NJ Transit weekday trains through the North River Tunnels increased from 147 in 1976 to 438 in 2010. Trains ordinarily travel west (to New Jersey) through the north tube and east through the south. During the busiest hour of morning rush, about 24 trains are scheduled through the south tube, and the same number travel through the north tube in the afternoon.

The tubes run parallel to each other underneath the river; their centers are separated by {{convert|37|ft|m}}. The two tracks fan out to 21 tracks just west of Penn Station.{{cite magazine |title=Completion of the Pennsylvania Tunnels and Terminal Station |magazine=Scientific American |volume=102 |issue=20 |date=May 14, 1910 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xoE3AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA399 |page=399}}{{rp|76}}

Beginning in the 1990s several proposals were developed to build additional tunnels under the Hudson, both to add capacity for Northeast Corridor traffic and to allow repairs to be made to the existing deteriorated tunnels. A plan to repair the tunnels and add new tubes was approved in 2021.{{Cite news |last=McGeehan |first=Patrick |date=May 28, 2021 |title=At Long Last, a New Rail Tunnel Under the Hudson River Can Be Built |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/28/nyregion/-gateway-tunnel-biden-support.html |access-date=May 28, 2021}}

Access to the Region's Core (ARC), launched in 1995 by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), NJ Transit, and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, was a Major Investment Study that looked at public transportation ideas for the New York metropolitan area. It found that long-term goals would best be met by better connections to and in-between the region's major rail stations in Midtown Manhattan, Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal.{{cite web |title=Access to the Region's Core Major Investment Study Summary Report 2003 |publisher=arctunnel.com |year=2003 |url=http://www.arctunnel.com/pdf/library/ARC_MIS_Summary_Report.pdf |access-date=March 6, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429194828/http://arctunnel.com/pdf/library/ARC_MIS_Summary_Report.pdf |archive-date=April 29, 2011}} The East Side Access project, which includes tunnels under the East River and the East Side of Manhattan, would divert some LIRR traffic to Grand Central;{{Cite web |url=http://web.mta.info/mta/news/books/pdf/151214_0930_LIRR.pdf#page=17 |title=Long Island Committee Meeting December 2015 |date=December 14, 2015 |website=mta.info |publisher=Metropolitan Transportation Authority |access-date=February 17, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160225054749/http://web.mta.info/mta/news/books/pdf/151214_0930_LIRR.pdf#page=17 |archive-date=February 25, 2016}} it was completed in January 2023.{{Cite news |last=Ley |first=Ana |date=2023-01-25 |title=L.I.R.R. Service to Grand Central Begins Today at Long Last |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/25/nyregion/lirr-grand-central.html |access-date=2023-01-25 |issn=0362-4331}}

The Trans-Hudson Express Tunnel or THE Tunnel, which later took on the name of the study itself, was meant to address the western, or Hudson River, crossing. Engineering studies determined that structural interferences made a new terminal connected to Grand Central or the current Penn Station unfeasible and its final design involved boring under the current rail yard to a new deep cavern terminal station under 34th Street.New Jersey Transit (October 2008). Newark, NJ. [http://www.arctunnel.com/pdf/library/0_5_executive_summary_feis.pdf "Access to the Region's Core: Final Environmental Impact Study."] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807203256/http://www.arctunnel.com/pdf/library/0_5_executive_summary_feis.pdf |date=August 7, 2011}} Executive Summary.{{cite web |last=Rassmussen |first=Ian |title=When an Environmental Impact Statement takes a lifetime |publisher=New Urban News |date=December 15, 2010 |url=http://newurbannetwork.com/news-opinion/blogs/ian-rassmussen/13726/when-environmental-impact-statement-takes-lifetime |access-date=March 7, 2012 |quote=The story of ARC began in 1995 with the start of a "Major Investment Study" that reviewed 137 alternative transportation improvements that would get commuters from central and northern New Jersey out of their cars, and into Manhattan faster, cheaper, and with less harm to the environment. After four years of study, the list was narrowed down to a few finalists in 1999. From 1999 to 2003, the feasibility of each of those plans (exactly where the tracks would be laid, and how they would connect to Penn Station) was studied, and the ultimate plan ironed out. From 2003 to 2009, the final plan — two new rail tunnels leading to a new lower level of Penn Station — was the subject of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).}} Amtrak had acknowledged that the region represented a bottleneck in the national system and had originally planned to complete work by 2040.{{Cite news |last=Frassinelli |first=Mike |title=Hudson River tunnel project proposed by Amtrak, NJ Transit would take decades to complete |newspaper=The Star Ledger |date=November 8, 2010 |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/11/similar_hudson_river_tunnel_pr.html |access-date=February 27, 2011}}

The ARC project, which did not include direct Amtrak participation,{{Citation |title=Amtrak, NJ Transit break off talks on reviving ARC Hudson River rail tunnel |newspaper=The Star-Ledger |date=November 12, 2010 |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/11/amtrak_nj_transit_break_off_ta.html |access-date=March 7, 2011}} was cancelled in October 2010 by New Jersey governor Chris Christie, who cited potential cost overruns.{{cite news |first=Patrick |last=McGeehan |title=Christie Halts Train Tunnel, Citing Its Cost |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/nyregion/08tunnel.html |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |date=October 7, 2010 |access-date=October 8, 2010}} Amtrak briefly engaged the governor in attempt to revive the ARC Tunnel and use preliminary work done for it, but those negotiations soon broke down. Amtrak said it was not interested in purchasing any of the work.{{Citation |title=Amtrak: no interest in Hudson tunnel |newspaper=The Star-Ledger |date=November 13, 2010 |url=http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1289633139318930.xml&coll=3 |access-date=March 13, 2011}} New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez later said some preparatory work done for ARC may be used for the new project. Costs for the project were $117 million for preliminary engineering, $126 million for final design, $15 million for construction and $178 million real estate property rights ($28 million in New Jersey and $150 million in New York City). Additionally, a $161 million partially refundable pre-payment of insurance premiums was also made.{{Cite news |last=Pillets |first=Jeff |title=State wants refund for $161.9M tunnel insurance |date=February 28, 2011 |url=http://www.northjersey.com/recap/117040328_State_wants_refund_for__161_9M_tunnel_insurance.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120926134017/http://www.northjersey.com/recap/117040328_State_wants_refund_for__161_9M_tunnel_insurance.html |url-status=dead |work=The Record |access-date=March 14, 2011 |archive-date=September 26, 2012}} Subsequently, Amtrak's timetable for beginning its trans-Hudson project was advanced. This was in part due to the cancellation of ARC, a project similar in scope, but with differences in design.{{Citation |last1=Fleisher |first1=Liza |last2=Grossman |first2=Andrew |title=Amtrak's Plan For New Tunnel Gains Support |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=February 8, 2011 |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704422204576130673174593178 |access-date=February 8, 2011}}

Amtrak's plan for a new Trans-Hudson tunnel, the Gateway Program, was unveiled on February 7, 2011, by Amtrak CEO Joseph Boardman and New Jersey Senators Menendez and Frank Lautenberg.{{Cite news |last=Rouse |first=Karen |title=Amtrak president details Gateway Project at Rutgers lecture |newspaper=Bergen Record |date=February 8, 2011 |url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/020811_Amtrak_president_details_Gateway_Project_at_Rutgers_lecture.html |access-date=February 9, 2011}}{{Cite news |last=Frassinelli |first=Mike |title=N.J. senators, Amtrak official to announce new commuter train tunnel project across the Hudson |newspaper=The Star-Ledger |date=February 6, 2011 |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/nj_senators_to_announce_new_co.html |access-date=February 7, 2011}}{{cite web |title=Gateway Project |publisher=Amtrak |date=February 2011 |url=http://www.lautenberg.senate.gov/assets/Gateway.pdf |access-date=February 7, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517075834/http://www.lautenberg.senate.gov/assets/Gateway.pdf |archive-date=May 17, 2013}}{{Cite news |last=McGeehan |first=Patrick |title=With One Plan for a Hudson Tunnel Dead, Senators Offer Another Option |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |date=February 7, 2011 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/08/nyregion/08tunnel.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=Amtrak%20new%20jersey&st=cse |access-date=February 9, 2011}} The announcement also included endorsements from New York Senator Charles Schumer and Amtrak's Board of Directors. Officials said Amtrak would take the lead in seeking financing; a list of potential sources included the states of New York and New Jersey, the City of New York, the PANYNJ, and the MTA as well as private investors.{{Cite press release |title=Lautenberg, Menendez Join Amtrak to Announce New Trans-Hudson Gateway Tunnel Project |publisher=Lautenberg/US Senate press release |date=February 7, 2011 |url=http://lautenberg.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=330933 |access-date=February 21, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721062423/http://lautenberg.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=330933 |archive-date=July 21, 2011}}{{Cite news |last=Frassinelli |first=Mike |title=Gov. Christie says new Gateway tunnel plan addresses his ARC project cost concerns |work=The Star-Ledger |date=February 8, 2011 |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/02/gov_christie_approves_of_new_g.html |access-date=February 9, 2011}}{{Cite news |last=Caruso |first=Lisa |title=Amtrak Proposes $13.5 Billion New Jersey Rail Project |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=February 7, 2011 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/07/AR2011020703557.html |access-date=February 16, 2011}} As of 2017, the Gateway Program is expected to cost $12.9 billion.{{Cite news |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/price-york-jersey-rail-tunnel-rises-129b-48474789 |title=Price for New York-New Jersey rail tunnel rises to $12.9B |date=July 6, 2017 |work=ABC News |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170707143744/https://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/wireStory/price-york-jersey-rail-tunnel-rises-129b-48474789 |archive-date=July 7, 2017 |url-status=dead}}{{cite web |last=Bazeley |first=Alex |date=July 6, 2017 |title=The Hudson Tunnel Project is expected to cost $12.9 billion |url=https://www.amny.com/transit/hudson-tunnel-project-cost-projected-at-12-9-billion-1.13785636 |access-date=May 7, 2018 |website=am New York}}

In October 2012, a year after the Gateway Program was announced, the North River Tubes were inundated by seawater from Hurricane Sandy, marking the first time in the tunnel's history that both tubes had been completely flooded.{{cite news |title=Amtrak Tunnels Flooded During Sandy To Reopen Friday |work=CBS New York |date=November 7, 2012 |url=http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/11/07/amtrak-tunnels-flooded-during-sandy-to-reopen-friday/}}{{cite news |last=Higgs |first=Larry |title=Amtrak: New tunnels needed after Sandy damage |work=Asbury Park Press |date=September 1, 2014 |url=http://www.app.com/story/news/traffic/2014/09/01/sandy-amtrak-tunnels/14928539/}}{{cite news |url=http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/11/transportation_update_amtrack.html |title=Transportation update: Amtrak to reopen flooded Hudson River rail tunnel |date=November 8, 2012 |last=Frassinelli |first=Mike |newspaper=The Star Ledger}} The surge damaged overhead wires, electrical systems, concrete bench walls, and drainage systems. As a result of the storm damage and the tunnels' age, component failures within the tubes increased, resulting in frequent delays.{{cite news |date=October 2, 2014 |title=Sandy-damaged tunnels could cause Amtrak nightmare |work=AP News |url=https://www.apnews.com/c3811ff029464ac8be35314417fbfd23}} One report in 2019 estimated that the North River Tubes and the Portal Bridge, two components that the Gateway Program will replace, contributed to 2,000 hours of delays between 2014 and 2018.{{Cite web |last=Wanek-Libman |first=Mischa |date=July 23, 2019 |url=https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/infrastructure/article/21089671/how-bad-are-delays-caused-by-north-river-tunnel-and-portal-bridge-2000-lost-hours-bad |title=How bad are delays caused by North River Tunnel and Portal Bridge? 2,000 lost hours bad |website=Mass Transit Magazine |access-date=July 26, 2019}} After the North River Tunnels were flooded, the Gateway Program was prioritized. In May 2014, Boardman told the Regional Plan Association that there was less than 20 years before one or both of the tunnels would have to be shut down.{{cite news |last=Rubinstein |first=Dana |date=May 5, 2014 |title=Clock ticking on Hudson crossings, Amtrak warns |newspaper=Capital |url=http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/city-hall/2014/05/8544757/clock-ticking-hudson-crossings-amtrak-warns |url-status=dead |access-date=May 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140510062536/http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/city-hall/2014/05/8544757/clock-ticking-hudson-crossings-amtrak-warns |archive-date=May 10, 2014}} In July 2017, the draft Environmental Impact Study for the project was issued.

Funding for the Gateway Project had been unclear for several years due to a lack of funding commitments from New Jersey officials and the federal government. In 2015, a Gateway Development Corporation, consisting of members from Amtrak, the Port Authority and USDOT, was created to oversee construction of the Gateway Project. The federal government and the states agreed to split the cost of funding the project.{{cite web |url=http://archive.northjersey.com/cm/2.1593/news/officials-corporation-will-oversee-new-hudson-rail-tunnel-feds-will-split-cost-1.1454035 |title=Officials: Corporation will oversee new Hudson rail tunnel; feds will split cost |last=Maag |first=Christopher |date=November 12, 2015 |website=NorthJersey.com |access-date=March 22, 2017}}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}{{cite web |url=http://www.nj.com/traffic/index.ssf/2015/11/booker_brokers_deal_on_entity_to_oversee_gateway_t.html |title=Feds agree to fund half of new Hudson rail tunnels, Booker says |date=November 12, 2015 |last=Higgs |first=Larry |website=NJ.com |access-date=March 22, 2017}} The first administration of President Donald Trump cast doubts about funding for the project,{{cite web |url=http://www.njspotlight.com/stories/17/03/19/trump-infrastructure-flip-fop-could-put-gateway-tunnel-project-in-peril/ |title=Trump Infrastructure Flip-Flop Could Put Gateway Tunnel Project in Peril |last=Reitmeyer |first=John |date=March 20, 2017 |website=NJ Spotlight |access-date=March 22, 2017}}{{cite web |url=http://www.nj.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/03/build_a_tunnel_a_great_tunnel_and_make_the_feds_pa.html |title=Build a tunnel, a great tunnel, and make the feds pay for it - Editorial |website=NJ.com |date=March 26, 2017 |access-date=October 26, 2017}} and in December 2017, a Federal Transit Administration official called the previous funding agreement "nonexistent".{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-pulls-brakes-on-13b-obama-backed-rail-tunnel-plan |title=Trump pulls brakes on $13B Obama-backed rail-tunnel plan |last1=Betz |first1=Bradford |date=December 31, 2017 |publisher=Fox News}}{{cite news |url=http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20171229/POLITICS/171229921/trump-administration-kills-gateway-tunnel-deal |title=Trump administration kills Gateway tunnel deal |last1=Bredderman |first1=Will |date=December 29, 2017 |publisher=Crain's New York}} In March 2018, up to $541 million for the project was provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act.{{Cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2018/03/22/heres-what-congress-is-stuffing-into-its-1-3-trillion-spending-bill/ |title=Here's what Congress is stuffing into its $1.3 trillion spending bill |last1=DeBonis |first1=Mike |date=March 22, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post |last2=O'Keefe |first2=Ed |last3=Werner |first3=Erica}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/a-pair-of-crucial-new-hudson-river-tunnels-just-took-a-major-step-forward-032718 |title=A pair of crucial new Hudson River tunnels just took a major step forward |last=Guse |first=Clayton |date=March 27, 2018 |work=Time Out New York}} On June 24, 2019, the state governments of New York and New Jersey passed legislation to create the bi-state Gateway Development Commission, whose job it is to oversee the planning, funding and construction of the rail tunnels and bridges of Gateway Program.{{Cite news |url=https://www.masstransitmag.com/rail/infrastructure/article/21085913/bistate-legislation-passed-to-establish-gateway-development-commission |title=Bi-state legislation passed to establish Gateway Development Commission |last=Wanek-Libman |first=Mischa |date=June 24, 2019 |work=Mass Transit Magazine}} In February 2020, Amtrak indicated that it would go forward with the renovation of the North River Tunnels regardless of the Gateway Program's status.{{Cite news |last=Mann |first=Ted |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/amtrak-to-begin-repairs-to-tunnels-beneath-hudson-river-11582827629 |title=Amtrak to Begin Repairs to Tunnels Beneath Hudson River |date=February 28, 2020 |work=Wall Street Journal}}{{Cite news |last=McGeehan |first=Patrick |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/nyregion/hudson-river-tunnel-repair.html |title=More Pain for N.J. Commuters: Tunnel Repairs Could Cause Big Delays |date=February 27, 2020 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=May 22, 2018 |language=en-US}}

On May 28, 2021, the project was formally approved by USDOT, with funding still to be determined.{{cite web |last=Higgs |first=Larry |date=May 28, 2021 |title=Gateway project to build new Hudson River tunnels wins key federal approval |url=https://www.nj.com/news/2021/05/gateway-project-to-build-new-hudson-river-tunnels-wins-key-federal-approval.html |website=NJ.com |access-date=May 28, 2021}} On August 31, 2022, the Gateway Development Commission announced that the new tunnels would be completed in 2035 and that the existing North River Tunnels will be rehabilitated by 2038. The project will use federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, with the balance provided by the states of New Jersey and New York.{{cite news |last=Rubenstein |first=Dana |title=Commuter Tunnel Under the Hudson Won't Be Finished Until 2035 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/31/nyregion/gateway-tunnel-ny-nj-delay.html |date=August 31, 2022 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=October 6, 2022 |language=en-US}}{{cite web | last=Stoltz |first=Marsha A. | title=Hudson tunnel project will be delayed by three years and cost $2B more, commission says | website=NorthJersey.com | date=September 2, 2022 | url=https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/new-jersey/2022/09/02/hudson-tunnel-project-gateway-delayed-cost/65469949007/ | access-date=October 6, 2022}}

When the new Gateway Program tunnels are built, the two North River Tunnels will close for repairs, one at a time, with the existing level of service maintained. The North River Tubes and the Gateway Program tunnels would both be able to carry a maximum of 24 trains per hour. Capacity on the line will be doubled after rehabilitation of the old tunnels is complete. The Hudson Tunnel Project will improve resiliency on the Northeast Corridor, making service along the line more reliable with redundant capacity.{{Cite web |date=June 2017 |title=Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) Executive Summary |url=http://hudsontunnelproject.com/documents/deis/00%20Executive%20Summary.pdf |access-date=July 10, 2017 |website=Hudson Tunnel Project |publisher=Federal Railroad Administration; New Jersey Transit |archive-date=December 15, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171215054037/http://hudsontunnelproject.com/documents/deis/00%20Executive%20Summary.pdf |url-status=dead }}{{Rp|S-2 to S-3, S-10}}{{Cite web |date=June 2017 |title=Hudson Tunnel Project Draft Environmental Impact Study; Chapter 5B: Transportation Services |url=http://www.hudsontunnelproject.com/documents/deis/05B%20Transportation%20Services.pdf |access-date=July 10, 2017 |website=Hudson Tunnel Project |publisher=Federal Railroad Administration; New Jersey Transit |archive-date=September 7, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907033656/http://www.hudsontunnelproject.com/documents/deis/05B%20Transportation%20Services.pdf |url-status=dead }}{{Rp|5B-17}}

The existing North River Tunnels can carry a maximum of 24 trains per hour in each direction. If the new Hudson Tunnel is not built, the North River Tunnels will have to be closed one at a time, reducing weekday service below the existing level of 24 trains per hour. Due to the need to provide two-way service on a single track, service would be reduced by over 50 percent. In the best-case scenario, with perfect operating conditions, 9 trains per hour could be provided through the existing North River Tunnels, or a 63% reduction in service. During the duration of construction, passengers would have to use overcrowded PATH trains, buses, and ferries to get between New Jersey and New York.{{Cite web |url=http://hudsontunnelproject.com/documents/deis/01%20Purpose%20and%20Need.pdf |title=Hudson Tunnel Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Chapter 1: Purpose and Need |date=June 2017 |website=Hudson Tunnel Project |access-date=May 7, 2018 |archive-date=July 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170730110048/http://hudsontunnelproject.com/documents/deis/01%20Purpose%20and%20Need.pdf |url-status=dead }}{{Rp|1–7}} On the other hand, if the new Gateway tunnel is built, it would allow an additional 24 trains per hour to travel under the Hudson River, supplementing the 24 trains per hour that could use the existing North River tubes.{{Cite web |url=http://www.gatewayprogram.org/content/dam/nec/gdc-board-items-january/2017-01-12-Porcari-GDC-Final.pdf |title=Gateway Program Overview and Update |publisher=Gateway Program Development Corporation |date=January 12, 2017 |first=John D. |last=Porcari |page=21}}

• Bergen Hill
• Bergen Tunnels
• East River Tunnels
• List of bridges, tunnels, and cuts in Hudson County, New Jersey
• List of ferries across the Hudson River in New York City
• List of fixed crossings of the Hudson River (bridges and tunnels)
• Uptown Hudson Tubes (PATH transit tunnels, opened 1908)

{{reflist|1=30em}}

• {{commons category-inline|North River Tunnels}}
• {{cite journal |last=Reeve |first=Arthur B. |date=December 1906 |title=The Romance of Tunnel Building: The Sixteen Subaqueous Tunnels Built and Building Under the Rivers Around New York City |journal=The World's Work: A History of Our Time |volume=XIII |pages=8338–8351 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3IfNAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA8338 |access-date=July 10, 2009}} Includes numerous construction photos.
• [https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/04/05/nyregion/nyregionspecial/20080405_TUNNEL_GRAPHIC.html Animated graphic of North River Tunnel construction technique] - The New York Times
• [https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10603211 "Tunnel to Terminus: The Story of Penn Station"] - National Public Radio

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