Due to construction at New York City’s Penn Station, Amtrak’s trains operating through the Hudson River Valley have to detour on the Metro-North Railroad to get to Grand Central Terminal. Because of these MNCW detours, Amtrak had to add "escape hatches" to the noses of their P32AC-DM locomotives, as Metro-North's tunnels do not have adequate clearance on the sides to allow crew members to exit the cab from the standard cab doors. The new hatch is clearly visible on the nose, replacing the original lighted numberboard. On July 19, 2018, Amtrak P32AC-DM 712 is bringing Empire Service train 236 (operating from Albany-Rensselaer to New York City) through the Harlem-125th Street station, and the views of downtown NYC will soon disappear as the train drops into a tunnel for the remaining four miles or so GCT.
