AMTRAK EXPANSION needed for higher speeds in the 186 to 220 mph range. “Th ese improvements will require additional investments by Amtrak and the other users of the NEC. Amtrak notes that infrastructure investment is a stated priority of the incoming Administration. Th e next-generation trainsets will have the capability to operate at speeds of 186 mph (300 kph) in their initial confi guration and thus will be able to take advantage of these improvements to the NEC over the next 30 years.” Th e fi rst prototype of the new trainsets will be ready in 2019. Th e fi rst set of trains will begin carrying passengers in 2021 and all 28 will be in service by the end of 2022, when the current fl eet is expected to be retired. Th e premium passenger experience, redesigned interiors and digital connectivity will create an enhanced passenger experience. Th is, coupled with reduced travel times and a smoother more comfortable ride, Sherin said the Avelia Liberty will be a catalyst for increased rail ridership and will help alleviate overall congestion within the NEC by reducing the number of fl ights between cities like Washington, D.C., New York City and Boston, and reduce the passenger automotive traffi c on Interstate 95 that connects those cities. He said, “Th e Acela service proves the rule consistently shown by economic models where for trip distances between 200 and 500 miles, when train travel takes less than 3 hours, rail will capture 50 percent of the market. And as trip times approach 2 hours, rail approaches 100 percent market share vs. other modes of transportation. “Amtrak benefi ts from this dynamic today and generates approximately $500 million in year in profi t on the NEC. Avelia Liberty will enable them to further reduce trip times and carry even more passengers.” With increases in profi tability and funds Amtrak can then reinvest in the NEC. Infrastructure Expansion & Updates WASHINGTON UNION STATION 2ND CENTURY PLAN An improvement plan to triple passenger capacity and double train capacity; it will expand station facilities over the next 20 years. It will potentially add several new lower-level concourses, multiple new entrances, wider platforms and new amenities and retail space. The first set of improvements is the Concourse Modernization Project. The Claytor Concourse, Union Station’s intercity and commuter concourse, will double its capacity and will be modernized to enhance passenger comfort and accessibility. It is expected to be complete in 2019. The plan includes a new transit-oriented development known as Burnham Place — a three million square foot mixed-use development over the existing rail yard. BALTIMORE PENN STATION The aging station, built in 1911, is the 8th busiest station in Amtrak’s national system. A Master Developer partner will be selected in 2017 to execute the phased redevelopment and expansion of the station and adjacent land. Plans include critical near-term improvements, as well as planning for the future, such as replacement of the station roofs and drainage systems and structural shoring of the façade. In June of this year, Amtrak and the Maryland Transit Administration invested $1.2 million in a new backup generator system to ensure continuity of critical station operations during outages. PHILADELPHIA 30TH STREET STATION Completed in June of this year, the plan is a 35-year vision for the 40 acres of new open space and 18 million square feet of new development, led by Amtrak, Brandywine Realty Trust, Drexel University, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. Amtrak is working with its partners on a vision to create the area surrounding the multimodal hub into Philadelphia’s “next-generation neighborhood,” a place to live, work, learn and play. The plan includes potential for $4.5 billion in private real estate investment, in addition to $3.5 billion for Drexel’s Schuylkill Yards project being developed 14 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | DECEMBER 2016/JANUARY 2017 by Brandywine Realty Trust. The projects are expected to generate $3.8 billion in city and state taxes and 40,000 new jobs. GATEWAY PROGRAM A comprehensive program of strategic rail infrastructure improvements that will double the passenger trains running under the Hudson River. Since 2012, Amtrak has directed more than $300 million to the Gateway Program, which includes $74 million for planning and pre-construction work. It will increase track, tunnel, bridge and station capacity, eventually creating four mainline tracks between Newark, Penn Station and a twotrack Hudson River Tunnel. THE HUDSON TUNNEL PROJECT New Jersey Transit and Amtrak completed final design and federal environmental review to replace the swing-span Portal Bridge over the Hackensack River in New Jersey with a fixed-span bridge at an estimated cost of $1.5 billion. Due to the aging mechanical components, it is a major source of delay for traffic. The two-track replacement bridge, the Portal North Bridge, is designed as a high-level, fixed-span bridge. A second two-track Portal South Bridge span is proposed as part of the program to double train capacity along this length of the corridor. NEW YORK CITY Moynihan Station and Penn Station expansions are incremental improvements to add capacity. The first phase of construction has begun on Moynihan Station. NEW JERSEY HIGH-SPEED RAIL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM In 2012 Amtrak received $450 million in federal money to upgrade infrastructure along a 23-mile stretch of the corridor between Trenton and New Brunswick in New Jersey to accommodate 160 mph speeds. The project will upgrade electrical power, signal systems, tracks and overhead catenary wires. Amtrak is leading the project with its commuter partner, New Jersey Transit. The project is expected to be complete in June 2017 and will serve as a model for the rest of the corridor.
MassTransit_December2016_January2017
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