The Gateway Development Commission (GDC), in partnership with the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA), is constructing the Hudson Tunnel Project to preserve functionality of the Northeast Corridor’s (NEC) Hudson River rail crossing between New Jersey and New York and strengthen the resilience of the NEC. GDC is constructing a new rail tunnel under the Hudson River, including railroad infrastructure in New Jersey and New York connecting the new rail tunnel to the existing NEC, and rehabilitating the existing NEC tunnel beneath the Hudson River.

The existing NEC rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River is known as the North River Tunnel. This tunnel is used by Amtrak for intercity passenger rail service and by NJ TRANSIT for commuter rail service. The tunnel has two separate tubes, each accommodating a single track for electrically powered trains, and extends approximately 2.5 miles from the tunnel portal in North Bergen, NJ, to Penn Station, New York, NY.

The North River Tunnel, damaged during Superstorm Sandy in October 2012, is currently safe for use by Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT trains traveling between New Jersey and New York City and beyond. However, it is in poor condition as a result of storm damage and requires regular and, occasionally, emergency maintenance that disrupts service for hundreds of thousands of rail passengers throughout the region. Despite ongoing maintenance, the tunnel’s systems continue to degrade and this can only be addressed through comprehensive rehabilitation of the tunnel.

The Hudson Tunnel Project is rehabilitating the North River Tunnel without disrupting existing levels of train service and providing redundant capability for rail service crossing the Hudson River. The Project first involves construction of a new tunnel with two new rail tubes beneath the Hudson River (the Hudson River Tunnel) that can maintain the existing level of train service while the damaged tubes in the North River Tunnel are taken out of service one at a time for rehabilitation. Once the North River Tunnel rehabilitation is complete, both the old and new tunnels will be in service, providing redundant capability and increased operational flexibility for Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process concluded on May 28, 2021, with FRA and FTA jointly signing a Record of Decision. FRA served as the NEPA lead federal agency during the environmental review process and initial project construction phase. In spring 2025, FRA designated FTA the lead federal agency for the remainder of the construction phase. The project is currently under construction. FRA and FTA have approved numerous NEPA reevaluations, which are publicly available on GDC’s project website.

For more information about the Project, please visit the project website.

FRA Point of Contact

Environmental Review Process contact: 
Chris Hansen, Environmental Protection Specialist
Phone: (571) 564-1197
Email: christopher.hansen@dot.gov

Media Queries contact:
Phone: 202-493-6024
Email: FRAPA@dot.gov

Permitting Dashboard

The U.S. Permitting Dashboard is an online tool for Federal agencies, project sponsors, and interested members of the public to track the Federal government’s environmental review and authorization processes for large or complex infrastructure projects. The Dashboard is part of a government-wide effort to improve coordination, transparency, and accountability. A link to this project’s page on the Dashboard is below.

• Permitting Dashboard Link