Amtrak reopening East River Tunnel damaged in Hurricane Sandy
Amtrak is reopening an East River Tunnel line that underwent major renovations after being damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
Line 2 will be back open Monday, marking the end of part of a large project affecting Amtrak, the Long Island Rail Road, and NJ Transit.
Two out of the four tubes in the 116-year-old tunnel were damaged by the major storm in 2012. Decades of wear and tear and saltwater seepage required significant upgrades to modernize the lines.
The East River Tunnel is a critical part of the Northeast Corridor and is used by more than 450 trains daily, according to transportation officials.
The four tunnel tubes connect Moynihan Train Hall at New York Penn Station with Queens and the northern end of the corridor between New York and Boston.
The $1.6 billion project started in May 2025. Crews completely shut down Line 2 to demolish the existing tunnel system down to the concrete liner and reconstruct it.
"The 116-year-old tunnel is now more modern, reliable and safer for Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road, and NJ Transit passengers for the next 100+ years," transportation officials stated.
Amtrak officials said they also completed aboveground work near Long Island City in Queens to make sure related systems were upgraded.
Amtrak, the MTA and other transportation officials will be discussing the reopening and hosting a commemorative train ride through the tunnel Monday afternoon.
Line 1 will be closed in the fall to continue the project. Repairs are expected to be completed by the end of 2027, according to Amtrak officials.
The other two lines don't require repairs.
