Months after the scaffolding around Baltimore’s Pennsylvania Station came down, construction equipment sits idled around the 1911 structure as progress has largely come to a halt.

The standstill comes ahead of the next phase of the multimillion-dollar renovation project, which was estimated to be more costly than anticipated, according to federal transportation officials.

The station’s owner, Amtrak, is working with developers “to finalize construction funding and phasing before advancing to the next stage of work,” said Beth Toll, a spokesperson for the federal corporation.

Toll did not get into specifics about the cost estimates, and would not confirm if the National Passenger Railroad Corporation had issued a formal order for developers to stop work on the redevelopment project. The quasi-public corporation rejected a public records request from The Baltimore Sun, citing an exemption to the Freedom of Information Act that bars the release of “trade secrets” and certain financial information considered confidential or privileged.

Toll said last month that Amtrak is “working closely” with its contracted development group — Penn Station Partners — to “prudently progress work while we continue to seek funding and investments to deliver the full potential of this program.”

“This is an important project to Amtrak and the Baltimore region,” she said.

Representatives for the developers involved, Cross Street Partners and Beatty Development, did not immediately return requests for comment on Thursday, nor did the construction company, Wohlsen.

Some necessary structural work was able to continue amid the pause, but it’s not clear how long progress will be on hold.

Work began on the Amtrak and MARC station in 2022 as part of a rehabilitation project then estimated to cost around $175 million, though that price tag could change as the federal rail company works out the details. Two years later, scaffolding surrounding the station started to come down as the finishing touches went into a new platform. In March, developers estimated a 2026 completion of the station. Amtrak currently estimates station expansion and renovation to be complete in 2027.

The phase that’s currently on hold would include work on a new concourse and building to be constructed on a Lanvale Street parking lot that sat fenced off and empty on Wednesday afternoon. Plywood boxes used to ship construction materials sat empty outside the station’s west side next to equipment and a project management office that also appeared to be empty.

On the inside, the station remains busy with rail travelers, though the wing including the shuttered Java Moon Café was roped off. The new building, which will serve as an entrance, may also house new food options. Marketing for office space on the station’s upper floor also has been ongoing, as developers attempt to add retail and shopping space and hook new tenants.