Shelved Penn Station fixes could avoid $17 billion expansion — if transit agencies actually work together: Post investigation

The controversial planned $17 billion expansion of Penn Station could be avoided — saving taxpayers cash and three midtown blocks from the wrecking ball — but only if the MTA, New Jersey Transit and Amtrak agreed to work together, a Post investigation found.

The MTA and NJ Transit — which operate the region’s commuter railroads — each prepared plans that collectively could double the number of trains Penn Station can fit, which experts and activists said would alleviate the need for the new terminal.

“If you cared about delivering the best bang for the public’s buck, you’d prioritize cost effective investments to increase throughput and improve rider experience in Penn Station first,” said Barry Caro, a longtime transit activist and a veteran political consultant.

“Instead, we have a plan that acts like there is a blank check from Washington and cost is no object when that very clearly isn’t the case anymore, if it ever was,” he told The Post.

Officials from local governors to transit chiefs have argued that the mega-planned “Penn Expansion” is needed to handle additional trains rolling in when the under-construction Hudson River tunnels are finished.

The project — which involves razing part or all of three city blocks — has ballooned in both size and cost even before starting, soaring from an estimated $8.5-$9.5 billion to a potential $16.7 billion for a two-level station that would have 12 tracks, documents show.