Amtrak gets $185M for Hudson River tunnels

Amtrak will get $185 million in federal funds to advance work on new Hudson River rail tunnels.

The money, which will come from Hurricane Sandy relief funds, will be used to build an 800-foot concrete tunnel box under a huge real-estate development going up next to Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan.

The box will serve two new flood-resistant "Gateway" tunnels designed to provide additional rail service between New Jersey and Penn Station in New York. The Gateway project, including the tunnels, is slated to cost $15 billion and be completed by 2025. - Paul Nussbaum