A bicyclist waits for a conductor to load her bike on the southbound Silver Meteor at Washington Union Station’s lower-level platforms on May 9, 2018. The new platform will be constructed west of the tracks to the right.
Bob Johnston
WASHINGTON — Amtrak has received a $19 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration to convert a storage track at Washington Union Station into a passenger platform.
WTOP reports the project will require installing new track, rebuilding a passenger platform, restoring columns, and adding an escalator, elevator, and stairs to allow access to the track on the station’s lower level. The platform, which will be used by Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express, will open in 2022.
rebuilding/upgrading a rail platform to take 3 years? and Buffalo is getting a brand new 3 story station to take 2 years to complete!
Three to four years to rebuild? They have to provide some justification for that “19” million dollar grant!!!
Hmmm…3-4 years to “rebuild” and “restore.” Sounds about right. Is this a former passenger platform or an entirely new alignment?
If the NEC is so profitable, why not have the money come from the NEC budget? Again, the rest of the country is paying for what will be used 90% of the time for local or regional service.
I would assume that no in-depth environmental reviews will be needed as there will be an assessment that results in a finding of no significant impact. As to how this can cost $19,000,000 well that is due to one factor: government is running this. I must ask, if Brightline had to do this work, how much would it cost them? And how long would it take them?
Environmental impact statements, consultants fees and all that; you know, the usual
Washington bureaucratic way of running the cost up and lining a lot of pockets. And if it comes in on-budget, on-time, it will be a minor miracle.
When you’re getting paid by the hour, speed is somebody else’s problem.