While plans for a Hudson River replacement rail tunnel remain unclear, one thing is certain: The cost is climbing. Released by the Federal Railroad Administration and New Jersey Transit on July 6, a draft environmental impact statement estimates that building the two-track, New Jersey-to-Manhattan tunnel and rehabilitating the existing 106-year-old, 2.5-mile-long tubes will require nearly $13 billion, nearly double previous estimates.
Amtrak and New Jersey Transit say their Gateway Program, which comprises the tunnel and a suite of related rail infrastructure projects, is desperately needed to support the Northeast Corridor’s rapidly growing volume of passenger rail traffic, particularly given the existing tunnel’s nearly constant need for repairs and susceptibility to disruption.