A war of words has broken out between Amtrak and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul over a repair plan for the East River tunnels that could affect the commute of tens of thousands of people in the New York City area.

In a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul, the head of Amtrak defends the agency's $1.6 billion effort to repair Superstorm Sandy damage in two of the four tunnels.

Responding to criticism on a number of fronts, Amtrak President Roger Harris said the company’s plan for repairs to New York’s East River Tunnel is “the safest, most efficient, reliable, and timely to complete the full rehabilitation