Penn Station renaming request revives Trump Station debate

The Trump administration has asked senior U.S. senators to approve a Penn Station renaming while it seeks congressional backing for an $8 billion overhaul of the Manhattan rail hub, according to a letter from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The request matters because the station is one of New York City’s most important transit sites and because administration officials have previously floated President Donald Trump’s name for it.

Duffy’s Wednesday letter sought funding approval for the Penn Station project and other major transportation priorities, according to the Transportation Department. The letter urged lawmakers to change the station’s name but did not say what the new name should be.

Transportation Department spokespeople provided the letter but did not answer follow-up questions Thursday. Amtrak referred questions to the department, while the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and New Jersey Transit did not immediately comment, according to the Associated Press.

Will Penn Station be renamed Trump Station?

Duffy has publicly shown interest in a Trump-branded station. Last summer, while officials were seeking bids for a master developer, he said, “I imagine you’re asking, ‘Is this going to be Trump Station?’” and added, “I think that has a nice ring to it.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked earlier this year about naming Penn Station or Dulles airport after Trump and replied, “Why not?” Trump has said the Penn Station idea did not start with him.

Speaking aboard Air Force One earlier this year, Trump said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York suggested changing the name to Trump Station. Trump also denied that he proposed the name change in exchange for releasing federal money for the Gateway project, a major rail tunnel under the Hudson River from Penn Station to New Jersey.

Trump later wrote on Truth Social that the idea had been raised by “certain politicians and construction union heads, not me.” He also said he loves Pennsylvania but argued the state competes with New York.

Why is Penn Station called Penn Station?

New York’s Pennsylvania Station is named for the Pennsylvania Railroad, the former passenger rail company that built the original station. The first Penn Station opened in 1910 and was known for Beaux Arts design, Roman-style columns and a large waiting room.

The original building was demolished in 1963 to clear space for Madison Square Garden. Since then, commuters have used the underground station below the arena, which has long been criticized for cramped passages and worn platforms.

Recently released designs for the rebuild show a return to classical styling, including a stone exterior, columns and a large concourse with high ceilings. One interior rendering includes Trump’s name and seal, according to the Associated Press.

Who opposes the name change?

Rep. Jerry Nadler, a Manhattan Democrat, said Duffy’s letter shows the administration is trying to take control of Penn Station away from local authorities. On X, Nadler said he strongly opposes the proposal and wants answers on project funding, adding that New York taxpayers and transit riders should not pay for what he called a Trump vanity project.

The Riders Alliance, a New York transit advocacy group, also criticized the renaming idea. Spokesperson Danny Pearlstein said the discussion should focus on better service and saving time and money, rather than monuments, ribbon cuttings or nameplates.

The Trump administration directed Amtrak last year to take control of the Penn Station redesign, according to the Associated Press. The project had long been slowed by disagreements among local transit agencies that use the station, while Madison Square Garden owner James Dolan has opposed plans that would move the arena.

The current plan would leave Madison Square Garden in place while removing a theater on the site, according to the Associated Press.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.