Judge derails Amtrak's lawsuit against MTA over track use
Passengers leaving an Amtrak train at Moynihan Penn Station in New York City. Credit: AFP via Getty Images/DANIEL SLIM
A federal judge has ruled that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority can continue blocking some Amtrak trains from using its tracks as the two sides continue feuding over a long-delayed effort to link Metro-North to Penn Station.
U.S. District Court Judge Jed Rakoff on Friday denied Amtrak’s request for an injunction to force the MTA to allow its trains to operate on Metro-North tracks. Rakoff did not cite a reason for the decision in his one-page ruling, but said it came after "careful consideration" of the case, including oral arguments from both sides.
Amtrak did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the ruling.
The MTA has said it banned Amtrak’s "NextGen Acela" trains because, in January, they destroyed overhead electrical wires that power Metro-North’s New Haven line, causing service disruptions.
Amtrak has said the MTA’s ban on some Amtrak trains is retaliatory, violates long-standing agreements between the agencies, and puts public safety at risk since it keeps Amtrak from conducting federally mandated infrastructure safety tests.
But the MTA has said the ban wasn’t a matter of spite, but rather of protecting its system from damage caused by Amtrak trains. The MTA has also blamed Amtrak’s NextGen Acela trains for a fire last week inside one of the East River Tunnels that forced the LIRR to suspend service into and out of Penn Station during the Thursday evening rush hour.
In a statement, MTA spokesperson Aaron Donovan said the transit authority was "pleased" with the court decision.
"Metro-North is committed to keeping customers safe and protecting our vital infrastructure and it is entirely appropriate for Metro-North to require Amtrak to agree to accept responsibility for any damage their trains may cause to the Metro-North network," Donovan said.
The court battle comes amid a long-running feud between the two rail providers. The MTA has blamed Amtrak for three years of delays to the $2.9 billion "Penn Station Access" project, which would link Metro-North to Penn and also build four new commuter rail stations in the Bronx.
The two sides have also clashed over Amtrak’s decision to take one of the East River Tunnels out of service for at least three years for repairs — hampering the Long Island Rail Road’s ability to run trains to and from Penn. Amtrak also has teamed with the Trump administration to take over a plan to redevelop Penn Station that was previously headed by the MTA.
After Amtrak and federal transportation officials on Wednesday announced they had selected a firm to design and build a reimagined Penn Station, MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber complained publicly about the transit authority being kept in the dark about the redevelopment plans, even though the MTA runs the majority of trains into and out of Penn.
On Friday, Amtrak, in a statement, said the MTA has an "open invitation" to sign on to become a partner in the project. Lieber has suggested that Amtrak’s offer would undermine an existing lease agreement that allows the LIRR, a subsidiary of the MTA, control of its concourse at Penn.
Alfonso Castillo has been reporting for Newsday since 1999 and covering the transportation beat since 2008. He grew up in the Bronx and Queens and now lives in Valley Stream with his wife and two sons.
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