NEWARK, N.J. (WCBS 880) — Newark Penn Station, one of the busiest rail stations in the country, is getting a $190 million facelift.
The 90-year-old transit hub has seen better days.
Gov. Phil Murphy said the first phase of the work beginning immediately is mostly aesthetic.
"Fully restoring the classic benches in the historic waiting room and platform enclosures to their original shine," Murphy said.
The improvements will also include new bathrooms and escalators.
Murphy said he hopes the renovations will make the station more welcoming. He described the works as a "process of reimagination and reinvigoration that will restore the station to its full grandeur."
New Jersey Transit rail ridership is 23% of pre-pandemic levels, but despite new habits, NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin Corbett thinks customers will return to New York.
"I think people are Zoomed out, there may be efficiencies, but you need that collaborative environment," Corbett said. "Until New York reopens, that'll be the drag on our ridership."
The restoration project is expected to take five years to complete.
Longer-term enhancements will focus on improving the station's openness, light, and overall commuter and visitor experience.
"A future goal is to make Newark Penn Station more of a destination, with added dining and shopping in the concourse," according to a press release from the governor's office.
The project is being funded by the state.
The station, which opened in 1935, is served by NJ TRANSIT commuter trains, the Newark Light Rail, the PATH, and Amtrak's Northeast Corridor services. The station also serves as Newark's main bus terminal.