New Penn Station design calls for ample public seating — a rare commodity in US public spaces

Amtrak's renderings show benches throughout the station.

1 minute read

June 28, 2026, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Rendering of people walking through redesigned Penn Station concourse with wooden benches.

Rendering of the new Penn Station design. | Penn Transformation / Penn Station

New designs for Penn Station's overhaul revealed by Amtrak show "an increasingly rare luxury in New York City rail hubs: places to sit," writes Ramsey Khalifeh in Gothamist.

"Currently, Penn Station commuters on all three railroads typically crowd around large track information screens or sit on stairs, blocking the way for others trying to get through." But renderings of the redesign show rows of wooden benches throughout the station that will be available to the public. "The design also includes a set of long bars, where commuters can grab a stool for the price of a drink."

The ample public seating will be a departure from typical transit stations, where seating is often reserved for paying Amtrak passengers if it exists at all.

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