Amtrak awarded a construction contract for the first of six major maintenance facilities around the country that will help modernize maintenance practices and ensure a successful transition from an aging fleet to modern, state-of-the-art trains.

Herzog Contracting Corp. was selected to design and construct a new Heavy Maintenance Facility at Amtrak’s Penn Coach Yard in Philadelphia.

The facility will service many of Amtrak’s Acela and Northeast Regional trains that operate up and down the Northeast Corridor (NEC), which today provides more than 12 million annual trips and growing.

“We look forward to breaking ground in 2024 on this critical infrastructure investment along the NEC, America’s busiest passenger corridor,” said Laura Mason, executive VP, capital delivery, for Amtrak. “This new facility will speed up train maintenance and reduce turnaround times, providing Amtrak customers with more reliable and frequent service.”

Amtrak’s Big Picture

Amtrak’s facility investments will prepare sites around the country for new trains that will begin serving customers in the coming years.

In the immediate future:

• Six rail yards (five in the Northeast and one in the Pacific Northwest) will be upgraded with new facilities to support maintenance activities, routine inspections, equipment repairs, and minor service and cleaning needs.

• Several layover facilities outside the NEC will also be built or renovated. These are located along existing routes where trains are cleaned, serviced, or stored.

More IIJA Funds Moving Infrastructure Programs

Amtrak’s projects are funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), allowing the agency to plan for the future and continue transforming passenger rail in America.

Major infrastructure initiatives like these create important jobs and drive economic development, while investing in local communities, said Amtrak officials.

New Acela testing is underway, Amtrak Airo manufacturing is ramping up and procurement has formally begun to replace the current long-distance fleet.

Over the next year, additional contract awards are expected for similar facility upgrades in Seattle, Washington D.C., New York City, and Boston.

The projects are part of Amtrak’s plan to invest roughly $5.5 billion in Fiscal Year 2024 through the company’s largest-ever annual capital program, which will modernize trains, enhance stations, and upgrade critical infrastructure like century-old tunnels and bridges.