Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Wednesday identified the renaming of New York’s Penn Station as a priority for the administration, fueling speculation that the country’s busiest transit hub could eventually bear President Trump’s name as part of a planned $8 billion overhaul.
In a letter to leaders of several Senate committees, Duffy urged Congress to “direct Amtrak to rename New York Penn Station” as lawmakers prepare to reauthorize funding for surface transportation programs set to expire on Sept. 30.
“We have a unique opportunity through reauthorization efforts to address key initiatives – particularly those related to transforming New York Penn Station,” Duffy wrote.
The transportation secretary did not propose a new name for the Manhattan rail hub, but said the station would be “re-built into a brand-new, world-class station.”
A Department of Transportation spokesperson declined to say whether the administration wants Penn Station renamed in Trump’s honor.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), who is retiring and whose district includes Penn Station, dismissed the idea as “ridiculous.”
“[A]fter months of hiding from the public, Sean Duffy has confirmed that the Trump administration is waging a hostile takeover of Penn Station, including delivering Trump his dream of renaming Penn Station after himself,” Nadler wrote on X. “I strongly oppose this ridiculous proposal and am once again demanding answers on the funding.
“This will be one of the most expensive projects in the country, yet the administration still has not disclosed how it will be funded or who will pay the bill.”
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Nadler further described the Penn Station rebuild as a “Trump vanity project.”
Duffy has previously hinted that Penn Station could be renamed after Trump.
“I imagine you’re asking, ‘Is this going to be Trump Station?’” he told reporters last August. “I think that has a nice ring to it.
“That is a conversation that could happen at some other point.”
Earlier this year, Trump himself reportedly asked Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to back renaming Penn Station in exchange for the release of $16 billion in federal funds for the Hudson River rail tunnel project.
Schumer reportedly told the president that he didn’t have the power to deliver on the unusual request, according to CNN. The funds were eventually unfrozen via a court order.
The prospect of renaming Penn Station after Trump first arose last April, when the Department of Transportation took over the renovation project from New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).
At the time, New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul indicated she’d be fine calling it “Trump Station” if the president could get the long-stalled project completed.
Renderings of the revamp released in June showed “Pennsylvania Station” etched into the stone facade outside the facility. Inside the station, the words “President Donald J. Trump” were carved into a stone wall alongside the presidential seal.
Aside from directing Amtrak to rename the decrepit Manhattan train station, Duffy asked senators to authorize an additional $1 billion grant for the renovation and allow Amtrak to enter into agreements to collect payments from developers in lieu of having the developers pay taxes.
