NEW YORK—Last week, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority awarded a $19.7 million contract for the design phase of a major project to protect vulnerable portions of the Metro-North Railroad’s Hudson Line from the effects of climate change and fortify the line against future stormwater runoff, tidal floods and other risks between Spuyten Duyvil to Hastings-on-Hudson.

This milestone is a major step forward in a flagship $800 million resiliency effort to fortify the Hudson Line in the MTA’s 2025-2029 Capital Plan. The design phase of the project will be a joint venture between New York City-based STV and Canadian-based WSP, which is headquartered in Montreal, Canada. Construction is expected to begin in 2029.

MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said, “As I always say, mass transit is the antidote to climate change—but we need to deal with the accelerating impacts it is already having on our system. This project takes a comprehensive approach towards protecting essential Metro-North service for decades to come.”

The future $270-million project is targeting assets that manage water flow and drainage, stabilize the right of way, and are in poor condition along a 20-mile stretch of the lower Hudson that is highly vulnerable to extreme weather. Work includes the fortification of retaining walls and slopes, expansion of culverts and drainage along slopes and track, shoreline structure rehabilitation, as well as flood protection measures for tracks where possible, MTA officials stated.