Amtrak officials said construction has begun to increase rail capacity at Washington Union Station in Washington, DC, which serves as the nation’s second-busiest terminal.
“Washington Union Station is integral to the national rail network,” said David Handera, Amtrak vice president of Stations, Facilities, Properties, and Accessibility. “This project will allow Amtrak to construct a new revenue track and increase capacity to meet the growing demand for rail services.”
A funding allotment of $19 million via the Federal Railroad Administration was allocated for a portion of the construction project, increasing track capacity for revenue trains for Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express (VRE).
Skanska USA Civil Northeast will execute the Track 22 Reconstruction Project at Washington Union Station. Skanska will rebuild the platform, rehab and restore the historic columns, and build a new covered walkway to provide customer access to the platform via a new elevator, escalator, and stairs to the station.
Amtrak and VRE revenue service to Track 22 is anticipated to begin in 2022.
The rail capacity expansion initiative is among other improvements designed to upgrade and enhance the customer experience at Washington Union Station.