Transit Briefs: Amtrak, MBTA, SunRail, OLI (UPDATED 8/14)

Amtrak

Amtrak on Aug. 9 reported investing $260 million for track infrastructure improvements during the 2024 summer months—up 109% from the prior-year period. The work is “fundamental to improving service to support the railroad’s ambitious goal of doubling annual ridership to 66 million by 2040,” it said.

The projects—funded by Amtrak grants and other federal programs, as well as state and local contributions and Amtrak revenue—include:

• “Replacing more than 75,500 railroad ties and 32 track miles of rail.
• “Improving track stability to more than 170 miles of track.
• “Renewing more than 35 track switches.”

According to “America’s Railroad,” several other major Amtrak-led or sponsored projects are also under way or set to begin later this year. They include:

• “Replacing 1950s-era rail infrastructure in Pennsylvania through the Harrisburg Line Track Renewal Project.
• “Advancing construction of the new Portal North Bridge, which recently passed the 67% completion mark and is being delivered in partnership with New Jersey Transit [NJT].
• “Kicking off major construction for the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program, which will eliminate the biggest rail bottleneck between Washington, D.C., and New Jersey.”

Additionally, in coordination with Conrail, NJT and PATH, Amtrak said that earlier this year it “completed construction replacing four power transmission circuits into one of Amtrak’s critical substations, Kearny Substation 41, in New Jersey.” The transmission circuits provide power to the NEC for Amtrak and NJT trains.

“In addition to our ongoing catenary inspection and repair program, we’re renewing our tracks, signals and other railroad infrastructure across the Northeast Corridor and Harrisburg Line, while also advancing major projects for new tunnels, bridges, trains and other historic investments,” said Amtrak Executive Vice President, Capital Delivery Laura Mason. “Thanks to new, innovative approaches and the support of our partners, we’re transforming the way we work to advance these upgrades in a more effective and efficient manner, enabling us to complete more work in less time.”

In related developments, Amtrak and NJT in late June announced that they have been “accelerating examination, inspection, maintenance, and improvement activities to a variety of infrastructure and fleet systems following a recent spike in NEC disruptions in New Jersey and New York Penn Station.” Amtrak more recently applied for four Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program grants, totaling $299.7 million, through the Federal Railroad Administration to improve NEC service.

MBTA

At MBTA, the search is on for a partner to redevelop the Alewife Station complex, which includes a Red Line station, a 2,733-space parking garage, and additional MBTA Commuter Rail facilities. 

The redevelopment will address overhauling aging systems, including upgrading signaling systems and improving platform accessibility and real-time information displays; connecting various transportation modes, including subway, bus, commuter rail, and last-mile solutions such as bike-sharing and electric vehicle charging stations; incorporating “advanced flood mitigation strategies and green infrastructure to protect against climate change impacts”; creating “a vibrant community hub, with potential for housing, retail, and office spaces directly integrated with the transit facility”; and prioritizing energy efficiency, utilizing renewable energy sources, and implementing water conservation measures to minimize the station’s environmental footprint. according to the transit agency.

MBTA said it will employ a multi-phase approach to selecting a joint development partner: 

• Pre-Development Agreement: Requests for Proposals (RFP) seeking developer qualifications will be issued by late summer 2024. Proposals will be due this fall. Partner selection is expected to commence this winter, enabling collaborative planning, design, and goal alignment. according to MBTA.
• Long-Term Lease: “Upon the satisfaction of the pre-conditions to development set forth in the pre-development agreement,” MBTA said that it intends to proceed directly to a long-term lease with its joint development partner.  
• Site Visit: MBTA will host a site visit one week after the issuance of the RFP.

As the public owner, MBTA said it is looking for design, permitting, construction, financial, operations, and maintenance expertise. “Collaboration, creativity, accountability, and transparency will be hallmarks of the partnership,” according to the transit agency. The development of the Alewife Station complex will be coordinated with City of Cambridge representatives.

“Mixed-use transit-oriented development opportunities like Alewife can really spur economic development in local communities, introduce more affordable housing, and assist the commonwealth in its climate change goals,” MBTA General Manager and CEO Phillip Eng said during the Aug. 8 announcement. “MBTA is committed to partnering with the communities we serve to develop safe, walkable, interconnected public spaces focused around our stations.”   

“This hub is in a location that serves Cambridge area community members in a lot of ways,” MBTA Chief of Transit Oriented Development and Innovative Delivery Scott Bosworth added. “This method of procurement is ideally going to lead to a lot of collaboration so that we can use the space in the most innovative and community-centric way possible.”

SunRail

Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Aug. 14 to include more details from STV and HNTB.

SunRail officially opened DeLand Station in Volusia County on Aug. 9 and began revenue service to the new commuter rail station at 5:15 a.m. on Aug. 12.

SunRail’s 17th station was constructed with a center platform and is adjacent to an existing Amtrak station. Commuter rail service now extends from the DeBary Station north to DeLand, a distance of 12.2 miles. Upon arrival at DeLand, riders have multiple options for reaching their final destination, including the VoRide rideshare service, according to SunRail. Through a partnership with Votran, the City of DeLand, and MainStreet DeLand, SunRail said it is also in the final stages of arranging a free, dedicated shuttle between the station and points of interest in downtown DeLand.

STV in 2022 signed a contract to support the 12.2-mile, $34 million design-build project on the existing Central Florida Rail Corridor. Its scope included four miles of double tracking, communications and electrical engineering, track relocation, the addition of a main line track, and a total rehabilitation of the pedestrian tunnel at Lake Beresford Park. Design for the new track and upgrades to the existing track will allow freight railroads to travel at 60 mph and Amtrak and SunRail to travel at 79 mph, according to STV. Herzog Contracting Corp. was the prime contractor. HNTB provided preliminary design and construction engineering inspection (CEI) services.

SunRail now operates over 61 miles of track through Volusia, Seminole, Orange and Osceola counties. The commuter railroad launched in May 2014 with a 32-mile, 12-station line, and service began on its 17-mile, four-station southern extension in July 2018.

SunRail runs 40 trains Monday through Friday, connecting communities from DeLand to Poinciana. The Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission—a partnership between Volusia, Seminole, Orange, and Osceola counties and the City of Orlando—works with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to operate the SunRail system.

“Today marks an exciting day where we can officially welcome DeLand and the surrounding community to the SunRail system,” FDOT Secretary Jared W. Perdue said on Aug. 9. “I’m extremely proud of the efforts of all our partners and FDOT team members who have made this final leg of the corridor a reality, accomplishing the original vision laid out for the SunRail system.”

“We are proud of how SunRail connects our communities,” FDOT District Five Secretary John E. Tyler said. “SunRail serves thousands of commuters every week through work, education, and leisure travel opportunities. It has attracted new development and economic opportunity near the stations and empowered us to reimagine and reinvent what it means to live and work in Central Florida.”

“The opening of SunRail’s newest commuter rail station is 30 years in the making and reflects STV’s commitment to innovative infrastructure solutions that connect communities,” said Keith Jackson, Vice President and Florida Area Manager at STV. “The final section of the SunRail vision will be a pivotal hub for commuters, offering a new, efficient way to travel between western Volusia County and those who commute to downtown Orlando.” 

“It is amazing to see this transformational project come to completion,” said Steve Kramer, Project Manager for HNTB, which in all three phases of the SunRail project (initial launch, southern expansion and the new northern expansion) provided CEI services, including trackwork, new wayside signal systems, grade crossing warning systems, station construction, reconstructing grade crossings, bridge construction, maintenance and operation facilities, and parking lots for the stations. “HNTB is proud to have worked alongside our client on this project that brings reliable transportation to the Central Florida region.” HNTB, as the general engineer consultant for FDOT’s District 5, also supported the safety and security elements of the project and the trains’ systems communication work including schedule and contract management, inspection work, and fare collection systems management.

SunRail reported that over the past 10 years, 41 TOD (Transit-Oriented Development) projects have been completed or started near its stations with a construction value of $1.8 billion. The first 16 stations have experienced $2.4 billion in cumulative property value growth, the commuter railroad noted. DeBary is now adding a Main Street project, and new housing plans adjacent to the DeLand Station are already moving forward, according to SunRail.

OLI

OLI, a national nonprofit rail safety education organization, has announced that applications have opened for the new Online Transit Safety Pledge Grant.

Funded by the Federal Transit Administration, one $10,000 grant will be given to a U.S. transit agency or government entity “to develop a creative campaign or project, including success metrics, encouraging users to complete any or all of OLI’s three online transit safety pledges”: Pre-Reader’s Transit Safety Pledge; Kids Transit Safety Pledge; and Transit Safety Pledge for Ages 13 and Up, according to OLI.

The grant will not require a funding match. OIL noted that it must approve all materials created as part of the grant and all grants must be coordinated with state OLI programs. Additionally, materials developed through this grant will be made available to other transit agencies to use in their communities, the nonprofit said.

All applications must be submitted via the Common Grant Application by Oct. 1, 2024; the grant recipient will be announced by Nov. 15, 2024.