Andy Byford, the former MTA chief nicknamed “Train Daddy” by riders, is back in New York with a new role and mission: to rebuild Penn Station, the busiest train hub in North America. 

For decades, New Yorkers have heard big promises about fixing Penn Station. On Thursday, Byford laid out why he believes this time will be different, putting real timelines and numbers on the table. 

Penn Station is “sort of the ugly duckling”

“It serves more people daily than Newark, LaGuardia and JFK combined,” Byford said. “Six hundred thousand passengers go through that station every day … and yet not only is it sort of the ugly duckling in the middle of the corridor, but it’s also, it impedes us because it’s so congested.”

Byford says that confusion and congestion are exactly what his team hopes to fix by building brighter stations, wider concourses, and a safer, cleaner experience. 

“For the first time in a quarter century, we actually have a chance to do this,” Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine said. 

Transit, business and elected leaders gathered Thursday morning to hear next steps. 

“The game changer, the differentiator this time, is that we do have the federal support that hasn’t been there in the past,” Byford said. 

Deliberate silence on the fate of Madison Square Garden

Some are questioning the White House’s commitment after recent threats to pull back on Gateway Tunnel funding. Another major hurdle is whether or not to move Madison Square Garden, which sits above the station. 

“We are silent, deliberately silent on the fate of MSG,” Byford said. 

“Please don’t tear the place up again”

Byford said they’ve requested proposals from developers and are weighing all options, including through-run service linking NJ Transit and the Long Island Rail Road. There are also conflicting transit agency opinions to navigate, including with the MTA, which says riders are already happy with recent upgrades. 

“They’re saying please don’t tear the place up again,” MTA chair and CEO Janno Lieber said. “Long Island Rail Road riders and subway riders are loving the transformation of this corridor. It was done on time, under budget … the reason it was done fast was we decided we weren’t gonna wait for all of the other players.”

Byford says Amtrak expects to choose a master developer by mid-2026 and get construction going before the end of 2027. 

Many riders told CBS News New York they’ll believe it when they see it. Some said, however, they’re actually hopeful about the project for the first time. 

“Everything needs to be renovated,” one commuter said. 

“It would be nice now that Moynihan [Train Hall] is nice and renovated,” said another.

“We’ll see. I don’t keep my hopes up,” said another. 

Byford promised there will be plenty of time for public input before the project gets rolling.Â