Amtrak wraps up North Carolina station project

Amtrak has finished a $3.2 million improvement project at the Gastonia, North Carolina, train station located on the Crescent line.

The project called for accessibility improvements, including the installation of a concrete platform with lighting, guardrails and signage; an accessible restroom; power-operated door entrance; and paved parking lot with accessible parking spaces. The work also involved renovating the waiting room and replacing the station’s heating and cooling system.

Amtrak completed the project in partnership with Norfolk Southern Railway, the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the city of Gastonia, Amtrak officials said in a press release.

The project is part of Amtrak’s Americans with Disabilities Act Stations Program, which calls for bringing its stations into ADA compliance. To date, the railroad has completed work at 177 stations; 108 are fully ADA-compliant while the remaining 69 are ADA-compliant excluding platforms, Amtrak officials said.

In fiscal-year 2023, Amtrak has budgeted $165 million to complete upgrades at 39 stations. In FY2022, the railroad completed compliance work at 20 stations for $96 million.