NEW YORK CITY — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a letter to U.S. Senators on Wednesday requesting congressional funding approval for the Penn Station redesign and other transportation priorities. In the letter, Duffy asked Congress to direct Amtrak to rename New York Penn Station.

The letter did not specify the new name for the station, though the request follows months of public discussion regarding a potential moniker honoring President Donald Trump. The Penn Station redesign project has a projected cost of $8 billion. Duffy requested $1 billion in authorization from the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Grant Program to begin major work on the redesign.

To further finance the project, Duffy requested approval of a Republican-backed amendment from a federal defense funding bill to allow property tax around Penn Station to help finance the project. He also requested an increase in the financing cap for a railroad loan program from $35 billion to $50 billion. These financial mechanisms aim to support the overhaul of the transit hub, which is the busiest in the western hemisphere.

The original Penn Station opened in 1910 and was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad. The current structure occupies a complex beneath and bounded by Seventh and Ninth avenues and 31st and 33rd streets, extending under Madison Square Garden. Pennsylvania Station serves more than 600,000 passengers per weekday as of 2019.

The Trump administration ordered Amtrak to assume control of the Penn Station redesign last year. Amtrak announced a master developer and design for the Penn Station project last month. Renderings for the new station design include a stone facade, rows of columns, and a grand concourse. Renderings for the new station design also include an inside wall bearing Trump’s seal and name.

Sean Duffy stated last summer, "I imagine you’re asking, ‘Is this going to be Trump Station?’ I think that has a nice ring to it." President Donald Trump stated earlier this year aboard Air Force One, "Chuck Schumer suggested that to me, about changing the name of Penn Station to Trump Station." Trump has also addressed the topic on social media, stating on Truth Social that the renaming idea was "brought up by certain politicians and construction union heads, not me."

Donald Trump stated on Truth Social, "I LOVE Pennsylvania, but it is a direct competitor to New York, and ‘eating New York’s lunch!’" The discussion of renaming federal infrastructure follows other recent changes, such as when Florida’s Palm Beach airport changed its name to the President Donald J. Trump International Airport earlier this month.

Critics of the proposal have voiced strong opposition to the funding request and the potential name change. U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler stated on X, "I strongly oppose this ridiculous proposal and am once again demanding answers on the funding." Nadler added that "New York taxpayers and transit riders must not be forced to foot the bill for a Trump vanity project." U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand criticized the Trump administration’s request to rename Penn Station.

The Hudson Tunnel Project will build nine miles of new passenger rail track between New York and New Jersey, including nearly five miles of tunnel boring to construct a new two-tube tunnel under the Hudson River. In 2026, the Federal Railroad Administration announced $4.7 billion in grants for intercity rail projects along the Northeast Corridor, which includes unspecified funding for improvements to Penn Station and Washington D.C.’s Union Station.

In 2016, the Trump administration proposed renaming several federal facilities, including Dulles International Airport and New York's Penn Station, after President Donald Trump, as part of a deal to unlock federal funding for the Gateway Tunnel project. James Dolan opposes plans to relocate Madison Square Garden. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce married at Madison Square Garden earlier this month.

The request for congressional funding and the potential renaming of New York Penn Station represents an intersection of infrastructure policy and political symbolism. The station serves as a critical transit node for the Northeast Corridor, and the proposed $8 billion redesign aims to modernize facilities that handle hundreds of thousands of daily passengers. The financing strategies outlined by Duffy, including the use of property taxes and increased loan caps, introduce new methods for funding large-scale transportation projects.

The debate over the station's name reflects broader discussions about the role of federal infrastructure in reflecting political legacies. With the Trump administration having ordered Amtrak to assume control of the redesign last year, the project has become a focal point for both supporters who view it as a necessary upgrade and critics who argue it prioritizes political branding over service improvements. The outcome of the congressional review will determine not only the financial viability of the redesign but also the official identity of one of the nation's busiest transit hubs.