Amtrak awards design build contracts for three rail yard modernization projects on Northeast Corridor
Amtrak has awarded design-build contracts and begun preconstruction activities for three rail yard modernization projects on the Northeast Corridor (NEC).
“These investments are key to introducing our new Airo trains on the Northeast Corridor beginning in 2027,” said Amtrak President Roger Harris. "With ridership and revenue at all-time highs, we’re making great strides to meet this growing demand with new, state-of-the-art trains that will improve service reliability and the overall customer experience, thanks to strong support from the Trump Administration, Congress and many other partners.”
According to Amtrak, the rail yard modernization projects, which feature projects located in Philadelphia, Seattle and Rensselaer/Albany, N.Y., will support new Airo trains arriving on more than a dozen routes over the coming years. Each train will be operated as a single trainset, rather than individual railcars. The new rail yard facilities will help create a consistent maintenance system that improves efficiencies and reduces turnaround times during repairs or inspections, while also improving safety and overall working conditions for employees.
The projects include:
Boston (Southampton Yard)
An SPS New England-Railroad Construction Company (RCC) Joint Venture will design and construct a new maintenance facility and renovate existing facilities to support Northeast Regional, Acela and long-distance trains that operate out of this yard, connecting with cities such as Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Va. Improvements Include:
- Construction of a new two-track maintenance and inspection facility.
- Renovation of the existing two-track regional service and Inspection facility into a two-track service & cleaning facility.
Work will be conducted in phases, with full project completion expected in 2029.
New York City (Sunnyside Yard)
A Scalamandre-Citnalta Joint Venture will design and construct new maintenance, inspection and servicing facilities, as well as other related upgrades, to support Northeast Regional, Acela, long-distance and commuter trains that operate out of this yard, connecting with cities such as Albany, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Richmond, Raleigh and Charlotte, N.C., Miami and New Orleans. Improvements Include:
- Construction of a new two-track maintenance and inspection facility.
- Construction of six new service and cleaning tracks with canopy coverage.
- Consolidation of commissary, employee workspace, material storage and parking into a single location within the yard, including an efficient modular office compound.
- Bringing 11 existing service platforms to a state of good repair (required to clean/prepare trains for passenger service and store trainsets when not in operation).
- Other infrastructure upgrades to accommodate this work, including reconfiguration of two major interlockings and tracks connecting the yard to the NEC.
Work will be conducted in phases, with full project completion expected in 2030.
Washington, D.C. (Ivy City Yard)
A Clark-Herzog Joint Venture will design, construct, and renovate new and existing maintenance and servicing facilities to support Northeast Regional (including the state-supported Amtrak Virginia service), Acela, long-distance and commuter trains that operate out of this yard, connecting with cities such as Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond, Charlotte, Savannah, Ga., Miami, New Orleans and Chicago.
Improvements Include:
- Construction of three new exterior service and cleaning tracks with canopy coverage.
- Renovation of two existing two-track maintenance facilities to include a new drop table.
- Replacement of the existing water main infrastructure within and around the yard, which provides flexibility to serve multiple trainsets across the various facilities.
Work will be conducted in phases, with full project completion expected in 2030.