CBS News New York got a rare look inside the East River Tunnels before Amtrak's $1.6 billion project to repair Superstorm Sandy damage begins.

To illustrate the major repairs needed in one of Amtrak’s East River tunnels, a top railroad official needed to only brush his hands along a piece of metal.

The MTA fired back at Amtrak on Thursday after the federal rail network held a media tour of an East River tunnel to explain why it believes a full shutdown of a rail tube is necessary during a years-long repair job.