Ground broken on new $3.2B station that will take riders from Bronx-to-Penn Station in one ride

East Bronx residents are another step closer to a much-anticipated one-ride to Penn Station following the groundbreaking for a new Parkchester train station.

“Penn Station Access – it means two big things: One, the East Bronx will no longer be a transit desert, finally. And second, people from the Bronx and Westchester will be able to go directly to Penn Station,” US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) told reporters in the Bronx on Friday about the $3.18 billion project.

The upcoming station is scheduled to open by 2027 along with new stations in Hunts Point, Morris Park and Co-Op City that will let MetroNorth trains run through Westchester County and the Bronx to Penn Station along rail lines controlled by Amtrak.

Officials say the new train service will enable thousands more people to access jobs, schooling and other services in Manhattan with the same one-ride convenience enjoyed by people in other areas of the city.

“People have been talking about this for over 30 years,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said at the groundbreaking Friday.

“A lot of people who lived here have been raised here, died here, have never had a chance to really understand what true freedom is all about — freedom to be able to have access to transportation without having most of your life confined to walking and taking a bus and taking another train, another train,” she added.

A half-million people will live within one mile of the four stations, according to the MTA, with people living in the Bronx saving an estimated 50 minutes per trip.

“This expansion not only cuts down on travel time, improves regional connectivity, and it provides for local economic benefits,” said Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), who represents the Bronx.

Improving rail service in Westchester and the Bronx was not easy, though, considering the red tape that had held up the project, according to Schumer.

“The focus was getting Amtrak and the MTA to play nice on the details of sharing access to the Hell’s Gate line, and to the Pelham Bay Bridge and also who was going to put in what amount of money,” he said.