The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $18,445,000 in federal funding to rehabilitate and enhance service at Newark Penn Station.

Democractic U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker and U.S. Reps. Albio Sires, D-8th District; Donald Payne Jr., D-10th District; and Tom Malinowski, D-7th District; made the announcement in a joint statement Tuesday.

Newark Penn is owned and operated by New Jersey Transit and provides service for commuters on several New Jersey Transit lines, PATH and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, the lawmakers said. The project includes repairing the station’s Platform D, which services Tracks 3 and 4 and serves as a transfer point for Amtrak and New Jersey Transit for boarding and de-boarding passengers.

“Thousands of New Jersey’s residents and commuters rely on the overtaxed platforms at Newark Penn Station every day to travel in and out of our region,” Gov. Phil Murphy said in a statement. “As the densest state in the nation and a major transportation hub, the need for this federal funding is no less than existential.”

According to New Jersey Transit, the work will include replacing structurally compromised reinforcement where necessary and applying a corrosion resistant membrane on the platform surface. The proposed project entails rebuilding platform edges, installing new tactile strips and timber rub rails, repairing and/or replacing the overhead canopy and lighting fixtures, and replacing deck joints throughout the platform.

“Newark Penn Station is New Jersey’s cornerstone to delivering successful transit service along the Northeast Corridor and beyond,” New Jersey Department of Transportation Commissioner and NJ Transit Board Chair Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti said in a statement. “It is critical to keep this facility modern and efficient to continue to improve the commuter experience, meeting the region’s transportation demands, and driving the economy forward.”