Moynihan Train Hall transformed the historic James A. Farley Post Office Building into a new rail gateway for New York City. Phase I, which began construction more than 25 years after the project’s initial conception, focused on connecting the Farley Building to Penn Station to improve safety and ease congestion for daily Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road, and NJ Transit commuters. The project widened the existing West End Concourse to serve eight additional tracks, added new passenger pathways, and laid the foundational work for the full Train Hall redevelopment to follow.

Velez Organization provided construction management and safety services as a subconsultant to STA — a joint venture of STV, Tishman, and AECOM — on this project. The team navigated the complexity of introducing new circulation spaces and vertical access within an occupied historic building, while coordinating construction activities among three major rail agencies and preserving the architectural character of the Farley Building. Improvements included new entrances linking the Farley Building to Penn Station, added vertical access to platforms via elevators, escalators, and stairs to meet ADA requirements, improved pedestrian concourses, and enhanced platform ventilation — along with fire safety upgrades including new standpipes and a command center for the New York City Fire Department.

The project’s first phase also included expansion and enhancement of the 33rd Street Connector between Penn Station and the West End Concourse beneath the grand staircase of the Farley building, widening of the West End Concourse to serve nine of Penn Station’s 11 platforms, and new entrances into the West End Concourse through the 31st and 33rd Street corners of the building.