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July 16, 2024|Passenger

Amtrak Awards Construction Contract for East River Tunnel Rehabilitation

Written by Carolina Worrell, Senior Editor
Marc Glucksman/River Rail Photo
Amtrak will begin major rehabilitation of the East River Tunnel—a critical link on the Northeast Corridor (NEC)—in New York City later this year following the award of a construction contract to a Skanska E-J ERT Joint Venture (JV).

According to Amtrak, the tunnel is comprised of four tubes—two of which require “significant repairs and comprehensive reconstruction” following damage caused by floodwaters that entered the tunnel during Superstorm Sandy. The East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project, the company says, will demolish all existing tunnel systems down to the concrete liner, before completely restoring both tubes that were damaged in 2012. During this project, one tube will be closed at a time, “minimizing service impacts while maximizing track access for construction and renewing the tunnel infrastructure to serve customers for another 100 years.”

Work will involve:

  • Spot repair and patching of the concrete tunnel liner.
  • Reconstruction of the bench walls in a modern high-low configuration.
  • Conversion from ballasted track to a modern direct fixation track system with integrated drainage.
  • Installation of new, state-of-the-art fire and smoke detection systems.
  • Replacement and modernization of signal, traction power, standpipe and drainage systems.

Additional work will be performed aboveground to upgrade tunnel approaches and install new signal equipment and power cables in Queens, as well as improvements to existing ventilation facilities in Manhattan and Queens.

This construction contract award follows a competitive procurement process that Amtrak began with the support of its partners—Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and NJ Transit —in spring 2023.

Amtrak has also awarded a construction management (CM) contract to a STV Inc./Naik Consulting Group, P.C. JV. The CM will assist Amtrak with management of the construction contractor, document control, schedule and budget oversight, and community outreach support. This team, the company says, will be fully integrated with Amtrak’s in-house Capital Delivery department and the construction contractor.

The project has also had ongoing support from Jacobs Engineering Group with design development for the required rehabilitation and system improvements.

The project will be governed by a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) established as part of a 2021 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Amtrak and North America’s Building Trades Unions covering Amtrak’s major civil engineering projects.

During the work, which is expected to last approximately three years, Amtrak says it plans to maintain the vast majority of service, with slight schedule changes for Northeast Regional and Acela trains, as well as modifications to some Long Distance and State Supported services. The project will also “not result in a major disruption to LIRR or NJ Transit service,” noted Amtrak, which is coordinating closely with railroad partners “to mitigate service impacts and will provide detailed service information via numerous channels in the coming months.”

The approximately $1.6 billion project is primarily funded by the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA), thanks to a $1.26 billion federal grant awarded by FRA in November 2023. The remaining portion will be funded by the project partners—New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), NJ Transit and Amtrak.

“The LIRR is by far the biggest user of the East River Tunnels and this project is key to the sequence of projects—including LIRR Third Track and Metro-North Penn Station Access—that not only fixes damage from Superstorm Sandy, but also increases regional railroad capacity and connects new neighborhoods to the rail system. We are pleased that Amtrak is now ready to award the contract and commence work,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber.

“As any commuter knows who’s suffered delays due to issues with the tunnels, NJ Transit’s investment in the East River Tunnel rehabilitation is an important one for continued reliability along the NEC. NJ Transit is pleased to be a project partner with Amtrak as this critical project advances into construction,” said NJ Transit President and CEO Kevin Corbett.

The East River Tunnel Rehabilitation Project is one of several major infrastructure projects under way at Amtrak as the company delivers its largest ever capital program, with billions of infrastructure investments planned for this year.

Preparatory work is already under way in Sunnyside Yard, with major construction expected to begin in late 2024 and continue through 2027.

“Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to renewing the East River Tunnel for a new generation. We thank Senator Schumer and the Biden-Harris Administration for their support that has made the renewal of this critical asset possible, and we appreciate the collaboration with our partners at MTA and NJ Transit on this consequential project. Together, we’re committed to delivering this important infrastructure investment for New Yorkers, New Jerseyans, and everyone else who relies on the NEC—America’s busiest rail corridor,” said Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner.