WASHINGTON — Amtrak has now brought 117 of its stations into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and made another 67 stations accessible under its ADA Act Stations Program, the passenger operator said Wednesday in an update on its accessibility efforts.
Another 39 stations are scheduled for completion this year at a forecast cost of $140 million. In all, Amtrak has spent $770 million on station accessibility projects since 2011. The projects include repairs and upgrades to platforms, ramps and sidewalks, and renovations to entrances and restrooms. Amtrak’s target is 100% compliance by 2029.
“As author of the All Stations Accessibility Program Act, a historic bill that was included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I’m proud that Amtrak is showing its commitment to making passenger rail accessible for everyone, all while creating jobs and bringing investment to Illinois,” U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) said in an Amtrak press release.
Amtrak’s effort also include deploying boarding equipment, including bridge plates, to help customers with reduced mobility board and exit trains, and audio and visual train status information at stations. Coming Acela and Aero equipment will also feature accessible restrooms, vestibules, and café cars, with built-in boarding equipment, while Superliners are receiving accessibility improvements.
“These investments benefit all of our customers by improving the travel experience at every aspect of the journey from trip planning, to purchasing tickets, to using our stations, trains and services,” Amtrak President Roger Harris said. “The execution of work depends on the strong collaboration and shared commitment from the community, the Department of Transportation, local governments, freight railroads and other partners.”
The efforts build on those spelled out in a 2020 agreement with the Department of Justice, which required Amtrak to address accessibility problems at no fewer than 135 stations over a nine-year period. That agreement also required the company to pay more than $2 million to more than 1,500 individuals who experienced disability discrimination in traveling or attempting to travel by train [see “Amtrak pays over $2 million to disabled …,” Trains News Wire, Jan. 13, 2022]. Amtrak had established an Office of the Vice President of Stations, Properties & Accessibility to coordinate its ADA compliance prior to that settlement.
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