October 04, 2024
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Amtrak is upgrading its existing rail yard near 30th Street Station. A new heavy maintenance facility will service trains on the Northeast Corridor route, which runs from Boston to Washington, D.C.
Amtrak broke ground Friday on a new heavy maintenance facility in Penn Coach Yard, which the rail service said will improve service along the East Coast.
The sprawling 350,000-square-foot project will build on the existing structures on the site, located near 30th Street Station. Planned upgrades include new storage buildings, fueling pads, inspection pits, and service and cleaning tracks — all of which will fast-track train maintenance and reduce turnaround times, the company said. The $462 million facility was funded through the Biden administration's 2021 infrastructure law. It is projected to open in 2027.
Amtrak said customers will not be significantly impacted by the construction, which will occur over two phases. The new facility will service trains on the Northeast Corridor route, which runs from Boston to Washington, D.C. The corridor is Amtrak's busiest, with over 12 million annual trips.
The project is one of six planned upgrades to major Amtrak rail yards, five of which are based in the Northeast. The Philadelphia facility is the first to begin construction.
It isn't the only Amtrak upgrade in the area. The rail service also began a renovation project at 30th Street Station in January, temporarily shuttering the food court. It is expected to reopen in the summer of 2025.
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