Amtrak Needs ‘Comprehensive’ Plan to Manage Gateway Program, Inspector General Report Says | national news

(The Center Square) – Amtrak needs a “comprehensive” plan to properly manage the multi-billion dollar Gateway program.

The finding was included in a new report from the Amtrak Office of Inspector General (OIG).

the Gateway program is a large project to improve a section of the busy northeast corridor between Newark Penn Station and New York Penn Station. It includes a new Portal North Bridge over the Hackensack River and a new tunnel under the Hudson River between New Jersey and New York.

“Our assessments of past complex construction and acquisition programs found that when the company failed to put this framework in place early enough, it experienced cost increases, schedule delays and strain on its relationships. with its partners as the projects matured,” the OIG report said.

“Gateway involves multiple transportation organizations – which may have competing priorities – that rely on multiple sources of funding for many projects and whose delivery times are changing,” the report said. “These practical and political complexities increase the risk to the company’s budget and timelines to meet its commitments to the program.”

An Amtrak spokesperson told The Center Square that the railroad is stepping up process improvements and some efforts were underway even before the report.

“We appreciate the work of the Office of Inspector General and are accelerating process improvements and will continue to incorporate best practices into the Gateway program – efforts that were underway prior to the OIG audit,” Jason said. Abrams, public relations manager for Amtrak. in a statement emailed to The Center Square.

“With the support of the Biden administration, Congress, and our state partners, Amtrak is poised to enter a new era of capital investment,” the statement added. “As the Gateway program accelerates from the planning phase through construction and delivery, Amtrak is also evolving and dedicating the resources necessary to meet our commitments to the program, our partners and the nation.”