The basics:
- Tunnel boring begins for new Hudson River rail tunnels
- Project marks first new Hudson River tunnel in more than a century
- TBM will initially bore 1 mile through the Palisades
- Hudson Tunnel Project remains on track for completion in 2035
The Hudson Tunnel Project reached a monumental milestone Sept. 28.
The Gateway Development Commission hosted the ceremonial start of one of the tunnel boring machines Monday. The work will create the tubes for the new rail system connecting New Jersey and New York. The Hudson Tunnel Project is just one cog in the Gateway Program machine that is designed to upgrade the transit rail system between New Jersey and New York.
The ceremonial start of the TBM sets into motion the first time that a new tunnel will be built under the Hudson River in over a century — and one that is much needed, according to the GDC.
The first drill will activate shortly after final testing. It will bore 1 mile through the solid rock of the Palisades Cliffs to the Hudson County Access Shaft on the border of Weehawken and Hoboken. Shortly after the first activation, another drill will launch into the Palisades Cliffs.
Once the drills complete their journey, they will be removed via the same access tunnels. Then, two more machines will replace them to continue digging the new tunnels under the Hudson River to New York.
A long time in the making
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill joined New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; and U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J, to celebrate the decades-long fight to get this project moving.
“I spent years in Congress fighting for the Hudson Tunnel Project because it is the most important infrastructure project in the country. Now, tunnel boring is beginning on the first new rail tunnel under the Hudson in more than a century,” Sherrill said.
“I was proud to be called the ‘tunnel-obsessed Congresswoman,’ and as Governor, I will keep fighting until this tunnel is built, so 100,000 jobs will be delivered, and millions of New Jersey commuters and travelers finally have the reliable service they deserve,” she added.
See more
Check out more photos of the tunnel boring kickoff event – as well as a close-up view of the massive machine – here.
The deterioration of the 115-year-old North River Tunnel has increased from usage and chlorides left over from the flooding caused by 2012’s Hurricane Sandy. The storm damaged both the tunnel and electrical equipment.
ICYMI: Yesterday we celebrated the start of tunnel boring for the Hudson Tunnel Project!
This video explains the first phase of tunneling and how tunnel boring machines dig and build the tunnel at the same time. pic.twitter.com/lDKvFxJe8O
— Gateway Program News (@GatewayProgNews) September 29, 2026
Goal: A better commute
Booker emphasized how much New Jerseyans rely on the Northeast Corridor.
“This milestone is a major step toward fulfilling the Hudson Tunnel Project’s two-track tunnel and giving New Jerseyans the dependable rail infrastructure they’ve waited decades for,” Booker said. “Millions of people depend on the Northeast Corridor every day to get to work, to school, and back home to their families.
“I’m proud to help deliver a project that will lower costs, strengthen our rail system, boost reliability, double capacity, and make commutes better for generations of New Jerseyans to come.”
According to the GDC, “the aging tunnel is a leading cause of delays for riders” and “any further reductions in service through the tunnel would have massive negative impacts on the region and the national economy.”
More to come
This Palisades Tunnel Project is one of 10 construction packages of the HTP.
According to Gateway Development Commission the new train tunnel will open for service in 2035. Hochul, however, called for a finish date of 2034.
Jim Starace, GDC chief of program delivery, explained reasoning behind the estimated timeline.
“When you talk of the refurbishing of the North River Tunnels, that’s 2038, but our goal has always been 2035. We have interim milestones along the way,” Starace said. “This is going to be 10 projects all together, including the North River Tunnels and each one has its own milestone and completion date. They are all intertwined and you can’t have one not finished to have a complete railroad system here.
“From Secaucus to Penn Station, each project has its own milestone that we monitor and track and deal with the problems of the megaprojects that we see every day,” he said.
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