By late Friday, Amtrak intends to reopen three tunnels that provide access to and from Penn Station in New York. The tunnels had been flooded and damaged by Hurricane Sandy.
Two of the tunnels are located under the East River and will support Northeast Corridor service north of New York, plus other routes.
When the two tunnels open, each will operate at 80% capacity (a peak level of about 32 trains per hour) while repairs continue. Two other East River tunnels did not flood and are operating at full capacity, Amtrak said.
The other tunnel to reopen is the North Tube under the Hudson River. Its reopening will allow expanded Amtrak and New Jersey Transit commuter rail service south of New York.
In combination with the South Tube, which reopened on Oct. 31, the two Hudson River tunnels will operate at about 63% capacity (a peak of about 24 trains per hour).