(Railfanning.org News Wire) — Construction is underway for Chicago Union Station’s first “level boarding” platforms, serving multiple tracks and enabling boarding without ramps, stairs or lifts.
Officials contend the $112 million project will create a more accessible and streamlined experience for Amtrak passengers.
The 30-month project will convert dormant platforms originally built for mail and parcels into passenger platforms that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, increase rail capacity, and enhance operational flexibility. These platforms were connected to a post office above these tracks until the post office was relocated.
The project includes a climate-controlled waiting area with restrooms and access for tracks 30 and higher. It will also provide critical interim capacity during future station modernization efforts, helping maintain passenger service while other platforms undergo reconstruction.
The work will be delivered through a design-bid-build method, and major construction will begin by the end of this year.
Clark Construction is the general contractor, and WSP USA will continue as the designer of record and provide construction-phase services. HNTB was awarded a project manager/construction manager contract and will provide management support through construction, embedded within Amtrak’s in-house Capital Delivery Department.
The project is funded by Congress through a $49.6 million fiscal 2022-23 Federal State Partnership Grant administered by the Federal Railroad Administration, $40 million in fiscal 2025 federal appropriations, and $22.4 million in local match contributions from Amtrak, the city of Chicago, and Cook County. Amtrak and the Illinois Department of Transportation jointly applied for the federal grant.
Known internally as the Platform 30-38 Project, it is the first in the Chicago Hub Improvement Program to advance to construction. CHIP is transforming regional and intercity passenger rail in the Midwest with critical investments in rail infrastructure, facilities, and Chicago Union Station.
Be the first to comment