New Jersey Delegation Tours Tunnel in Bid to Break Impasse

Monday, January 28, 2019 4:55 pm | < 1 Minute Read

Damage to the Hudson River rail tunnel is visible during a tour that began in Oct., 2018, in New York. (Victor J. Blue/The New York Times via AP, Pool)

Several members of New Jersey’s Congressional delegation and Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy have toured the century-old Hudson Rail tunnel as they seek to end a funding impasse with the federal government over a $13 billion project to build a new tunnel.

Amtrak, which owns the tunnel, says flooding from 2012’s Superstorm Sandy damaged the interior and requires ongoing repair work. It says the tunnel’s deteriorating condition could eventually create significant disruptions for the roughly 200,000 people per day who pass through it.

Federal transportation officials are balking at committing funding. They say billions of dollars in federal loans sought by New York and New Jersey shouldn’t count as the states’ contribution.

In October, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo toured the tunnel and sent video footage to President Donald Trump.

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