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12/27/2023
Amtrak has issued a request for proposals to rail-car manufacturers to begin the replacement of the railroad’s Long Distance fleet.
The multibillion-dollar procurement will enable Amtrak to introduce an updated product that will meet market expectations, improve customer experience, improve operational efficiency and bolster sustainability and ridership, Amtrak officials said in a press release.
The RFP follows a formal request for information issued in December 2022 to rail-car builders. The RFI defined and described the scope of replacing the long-distance fleet. Multiple suppliers responded to the RFI in early 2023, which helped shape the RFP.
The RFP outlines requirements to improve core elements of Long Distance service, including coach seating, private rooms, food service, enhanced accessibility and route experience. Following vendor selection, critical steps of final design, development and production are expected to occur over the next several years. Fleet deliveries are projected to begin in the early 2030s.
Meanwhile, Amtrak also announced it has selected the Flatiron/Herzog Joint Venture as the construction manager at risk (CMAR) contractor for construction of two new bridges and associated track work, along with two supporting contracts that will advance replacement of the existing 117-year-old Susquehanna River Rail Bridge.
"With the award of these contracts, we are one step closer to breaking ground on this crucial project that will unlock a significant bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor, reduce trip times and improve reliability for passenger and freight travel across the Northeast," said Amtrak Executive Vice President, Capital Delivery Laura Mason in a press release.
Two newly constructed two-track fixed bridges will replace the existing two-track moveable bridge, along with overhead power, signal, safety and security system modernization that will improve railroad efficiency on the NEC.
As the longest moveable bridge on the NEC, the Susquehanna River Rail Bridge is used by Amtrak, Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) rail and Norfolk Southern Railway to support more than 110 passenger and freight trains daily. Currently, crossing the bridge requires trains to slow to a speed of 90 mph, resulting in capacity and reliability constraints.
Funding for the bridge project comes from the federal government and from the Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration.
Amtrak Long Distance ridership grew by more than 12% across the network in fiscal-year 2023 ending Sept. 30, serving nearly 3.9 million customer trips.
Amtrak has also awarded two other contracts that will help advance the Susquehanna River Rail Bridge Replacement Program: a project and construction management contract awarded to an AECOM-led team to complete the final design and perform construction management for the bridge construction phase. This team will be fully integrated with the Flatiron/Herzog Joint Venture.
The second of the other contracts was awarded to Fay Construction to demolish and remove 10 remnant piers that remain from an 1866 railroad bridge located east of the existing bridge. The remnant pier work will begin in early 2024 and last about a year.
Final design work is underway for the two new bridges, which will be built in a phased approach; 100% design completion is expected by the end of 2024 and construction is scheduled to begin in 2025.