East River Tunnels
| Company type | Infrastructure |
|---|---|
| Industry | Rail transport |
| Founded | 1904 |
| Founder | Pennsylvania Railroad |
| Headquarters | New York City , United States |
Area served | New York City metropolitan area |
| Products | Railroad tunnels for LIRR, Amtrak, NJ Transit |
| Owner | Amtrak |
The East River Tunnels consist of four individual railroad tunnels, each with a single track, running from Pennsylvania Station beneath 32nd and 33rd Streets in Manhattan and crossing the East River to Long Island City in Queens. These tunnels accommodate Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and Amtrak services that operate through Penn Station and extend northward and eastward, as well as New Jersey Transit trains traveling empty to Sunnyside Yard. They form a crucial segment of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, linking New York City to New England via the Hell Gate Bridge.
Construction
Built during the early 1900s, the tunnels were part of the New York Tunnel Extension initiative. The original 1901 blueprint proposed a Hudson River bridge alongside separate terminals for the LIRR and Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), designed to facilitate uninterrupted travel between Long Island and New Jersey without transfers. At that period, LIRR trains terminated at Long Island City, with passengers transferring to ferries for Manhattan access. During this era, LIRR became a subsidiary of PRR. Due to the prohibitive expense of constructing a bridge, plans shifted in late 1901 toward building the North River Tunnels beneath the Hudson River instead.
The project encountered resistance from the New York City Board of Rapid Transit Commissioners and the Interborough Rapid Transit Company, who were concerned about territorial control and competition. Nevertheless, the Board of Aldermen narrowly approved the proposal in December 1902. The East and North River tunnels were engineered beneath their respective riverbeds to converge at an imposing Beaux-Arts style Penn Station located between 31st and 33rd Streets. The overall project was estimated to cost over $100 million.
In 1903, S. Pearson & Son secured the contract for constructing the East River Tunnels, initially planned as two tubes but later expanded to four by Chief Engineer Alfred Noble. Excavation began in 1904 simultaneously from both Manhattan and Queens sides, including vertical shafts near First Avenue. Tunnel engineering had advanced sufficiently that a 23-foot diameter tunnel section was displayed at the 1907 Jamestown Exposition before being installed underwater. Construction was completed on March 18, 1908.
Opening
The tunnels commenced operation alongside Pennsylvania Station on September 8, 1910.
As part of the New York Connecting Railroad project, a link was established from the East River Tunnels to New Haven Railroad tracks. Following the opening of the Hell Gate Bridge in 1917, New Haven trains started utilizing these tunnels to access Penn Station.
Later years
During Hurricane Sandy in 2012, approximately 14 million gallons of water inundated the East River Tunnels. Although drainage efforts were undertaken, subsequent corrosion and signal malfunctions increased. Amtrak, which owns the tunnels, initially planned $1 billion in repairs beginning in 2019 involving two-year closures per tunnel. However, delays related to the East Side Access project postponed work until 2025 with an anticipated four-year construction period. In April 2023, Amtrak issued a request for qualifications from potential contractors.
By July 2024, Amtrak awarded a $1.6 billion contract for tunnel rehabilitation to the Skanska E-J ERT Joint Venture. The following year, Amtrak proposed shutting down the two tubes not used by LIRR (lines 1 and 2) for over a year each—each closure lasting approximately 13 months. The shutdown was originally set for May 9, 2025 but was postponed by two weeks. Despite appeals from city and state officials for limited closures during nights and weekends to preserve operational flexibility, Amtrak declined these requests. Construction officially began on May 23, 2025.
Operation
Owned by Amtrak, the East River Tunnels are powered through both third rail and overhead catenary systems. Because of ventilation constraints, diesel locomotives are only permitted during emergencies. To accommodate non-electrified routes during peak periods, the LIRR utilizes DM30AC dual-mode locomotives for access to Penn Station.
Moving eastward from Penn Station, tracks numbered 5 through 21 converge into two tunnels, each containing three tracks, before linking up with the four-track East River Tunnels. These tunnels emerge above ground east of Queens. The underwater lines are arranged from south to north as Lines 1 and 2 beneath 32nd Street, and Lines 3 and 4 beneath 33rd Street. Typically, eastbound trains run on Lines 1 and 3, while westbound services use Lines 2 and 4. Near the eastern end, Line 2 passes underneath Line 3 to position tunnels carrying trains in the same direction side by side.
- East portals for Lines 1 and 3:
- East portal for Line 2:
- East portal for Line 4:
As trains approach Harold Interlocking from the west, the track sequence from south to north is Lines 1-3-2-4, interspersed with LIRR and Sunnyside Yard tracks. Beyond Harold, Lines 1 and 3 correspond to LIRR Main Line Tracks 4 and 2 respectively; Lines 2 and 4 become LIRR Main Line Track 3 and the westbound Port Washington main line. The layout at Harold Interlocking was redesigned in 1990 to enhance these track connections.
Because of clearance limitations, Amtrak’s Superliner cars are unable to pass through these tunnels; consequently, Amtrak operates Amfleet and Viewliner equipment instead.