On Friday afternoon, New York City's official emergency notification system issued an alert regarding New York City Fire Department activity near Penn Station in Manhattan. The alert warned people to expect emergency personnel in the area, along with possible mass transit disruptions and cancellations.
"FDNY Activity: Expect mass transit disruptions, cancellations & emergency personnel near Penn Station in Manhattan. Use alternate routes," NYCEM Notify NYC said in a post on X.
The alert sparked confusion and concern over the nature of the emergency.
However, authorities have so far not provided further details about the incident.
Also Read: What's on fire in Denver right now? Videos show massive smoke plume
Could Penn Station become 'Trump Station'?
{{/usCountry}}Also Read: What's on fire in Denver right now? Videos show massive smoke plume
Could Penn Station become 'Trump Station'?
{{/usCountry}}In other news, the Trump administration is reportedly seeking to rename New York’s Penn Station as part of a planned $8 billion redesign of the nation’s busiest transit hub, according to AP.
In a letter this week to leading US senators, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy listed renaming the station as an administration priority while seeking funding approval for the project.
Duffy stopped short of specifying a new name but has previously said “Trump Station” has “a nice ring to it.”
President Trump has said the idea was suggested by others, including Sen. Chuck Schumer, and noted that the current name honors the Pennsylvania Railroad rather than New York.
“Chuck Schumer suggested that to me, about changing the name of Penn Station to Trump Station,” Trump said earlier this year aboard Air Force One.
Critics, including Rep. Jerry Nadler, called the proposal a “vanity project” and accused the administration of a “hostile takeover.”
“I strongly oppose this ridiculous proposal and am once again demanding answers on the funding,” he wrote on X. “New York taxpayers and transit riders must not be forced to foot the bill for a Trump vanity project.”
Transit advocates warned it risks turning the overhaul into a multibillion-dollar boondoggle focused on monuments rather than improved service. The original 1910 Beaux-Arts station was demolished in 1963. The new plans aim to restore a grand classical design while keeping Madison Square Garden in place.
The Riders Alliance, a local transit advocacy group, said the renaming idea was “another huge red flag” that the Penn Station project could become “another multibillion dollar vanity boondoggle.”
“We should be talking about improving service, saving time and money, not monuments, ribbon cuttings or nameplates,” spokesperson Danny Pearlstein said in a statement.
(With inputs from AP)