Discussion of the Gateway Program, an infrastructure plan to improve rail lines along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) that supports 800,000 passengers daily, has been circulating for years. And finally, after years of delays, the project has finally secured full funding.
On Monday, July 8th, the Gateway Development Commission (GDC) signed a Full Funding Grant Agreement (FFGA) with the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for $6.88 billion in federal funding.
This announcement comes two years after Governor Kathy Hochul and Governor Phil Murphy confirmed that both New York and New Jersey would be moving forward with the plan.
The $16.1 billion Gateway Hudson Tunnel Project includes building two additional tracks on the Northeast Corridor and rehabilitating the existing North River Tunnel, which sustained damage due to old age and exposure to Hurricane Sandy, resulting in four modern tracks between New York and New Jersey.
The new tunnel will be in service by 2035 and the full rehabilitation of the existing tunnel will be complete by 2038.
Construction of the HTP began on both sides of the Hudson River in November 2023, and the project is expected to create 95,000 jobs and generate $19.6 billion in economic activity.
Senator Charles Schumer, whose been backing the project for more than a decade, stated:
[The Gateway Project is] a labor of love. And after many false starts and obstacles placed in our way, Gateway is full speed ahead with billions from FTA ready to go and be used for critical work and construction.
Learn more about the plan here.