Could the MTA sue Amtrak over Penn Station?

NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - MTA board members are fed up with Amtrak's handling of Penn Station. The MTA could consider legal action against Amtrak after trail derailments in March and April.  While that is possible, the MTA issued a statement to Fox 5 News stating: "There are no imminent plans to sue Amtrak. As is always case, lawyers look into these types of things to explore all options, but again, there is no legal action imminent."

Amtrak owns and maintains Penn Station. The Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit are tenants. Several MTA board members suggested the MTA should take ownership of Penn Station.

Amtrak issued a statement saying, in part, "Amtrak is hard at work every day maintaining Penn Station in the face of huge train volumes, aging infrastructure, decades of underinvestment and competing priorities within the terminal area. Talk of lawsuits or speculation about changing ownership isn't going to help solve these problems."

The general counsel for the LIRR told MTA board members that winning a lawsuit against Amtrak would be difficult.