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Amtrak has completed $24.5 million in upgrades to an equipment maintenance facility in Los Angeles that will be used to inspect, service and maintain Amtrak and some California-owned passenger-rail equipment.

The project improved the shop’s capacity, efficiency and working conditions, Amtrak officials said in a prepared statement. The shop performs safety inspections and services passenger cars used on Amtrak’s Coast Starlight, Southwest Chief and Sunset Limited routes, as well as the Pacific Surfliner, one of the state-supported corridor services.

The building’s design incorporates features of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for environmentally sustainable construction, including high-bay florescent lighting with photocell sensors, large ceiling fans for air circulation, sun lights and point-of-use instant hot water instead of water heaters. A new in-floor jacking system to lift cars will make it easier to replace wheel assemblies, according to Amtrak.

The project was funded with federal stimulus dollars. Kemp Bros. Construction Co. was the contractor.