Moynihan Train Hall and Farley Building

WSP USA worked with Empire State Development and numerous other stakeholders in the Penn Station vicinity to advance the Moynihan Train Hall.

Location

New York, USA

Client

Empire State Development

Project Status

Completed

Awards

Construction Management Association of America 2021 Project Achievement Award, Transportation: Construction value greater than $50 Million
Engineering News-Record New York 2021 Best Transit Project

In an effort to recreate the grand entrance to the city that was lost when the original Penn Station was demolished, Empire State Development (ESD) dramatically reconfigured the James A. Farley Post Office – which sits 50 feet above Penn Station’s platforms – into Moynihan Train Hall, a 21st-century transit destination.

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Grand Staircase

Moynihan Train Hall increases Penn Station’s concourse space by more than 50 percent and reshapes the travel experience of the busiest passenger transportation facility in the Western Hemisphere, used by more than 700,000 passengers per day - more than LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy and Newark International Airports combined. The 255,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility includes 120,000 square feet of retail space.

Since 1991, WSP USA has worked with ESD, Amtrak, the United States Postal Service, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, LIRR, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, developers Vornado Realty Trust and The Related Companies and countless other stakeholders to help guide the project to successful completion. Under WSP USA’s project management, this innovative public-private partnership project was completed on time and on budget, despite challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Historic Mural at Amtrak Baggage Claim

The $1.6 billion transformation of the 109-year-old Farley Post Office building includes state-of-the-art security and a contemporary, digital passenger experience. The facility features marble floors, glass and metal-paneled walls, new vertical transportation, interior and exterior lighting, a new lounge and passenger hospitality waiting areas, public information displays and beautiful, large-scale site-specific artwork that reflects the past, present and future of the train hall.

Seating at the Amtrak Ticketed Waiting Area

The train hall blends classical and contemporary design and features a one-acre sky-lit atrium, a signature clock, cutting-edge technology, clear wayfinding, full accessibility and public art. It also significantly improves the convenience, health and daily experience for passengers, neighbors and visitors.

Moynihan Train Hall is the first project worldwide to qualify for certification under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Transit Building Design and Construction, keeping New York on track for sustainability in the 21st century. WSP administered the LEED certification and commissioning process.

Sustainable Development Goal 9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure