Amtrak has set an ambitious goal of doubling its ridership in less than 20 years. To achieve this, the railroad company is leveraging an infusion of funds, amounting to approximately $22 billion, from the 2021 infrastructure bill. The Wall Street Journal highlights the importance of improving Amtrak’s busiest hubs, many of which have not received upgrades in decades, in order to accomplish this objective. “Amtrak is making significant investments to modernize our stations,” stated EVP Laura Mason, who is leading the company’s internal infrastructure overhaul. The projects include track improvements, enhanced accessibility, and revitalization of major stations to maximize their retail potential. Funding will be allocated to hubs such as Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station, New York’s Penn Station, and Chicago’s Union Station.
Baltimore’s 112-year-old Penn Station, which has reportedly not undergone significant renovations since 1984, will also undergo a makeover. According to WBALTV-11, this presents an excellent opportunity to attract new residents from Washington DC and other locations, who can live in a neighborhood where they are just steps away from catching a train to virtually anywhere. The station will undergo historic preservation while also adding two platforms to accommodate new Acela trains. Additionally, a new modern station building across the tracks will be constructed and connected by a concourse. Amtrak’s spending is projected to increase significantly, with major stations funding rising from $15 million in 2019 to $1.5 billion by 2028. Annual capital investment will increase from $785 million in 2019 to over $6.5 billion in 2025.
The Journal highlights that Amtrak was formed through the consolidation of private railroad companies like Pennsylvania Railroad, which started breaking up in the 1960s. While Amtrak inherited extensive but underutilized tracks across the country, it also gained massive development potential in sites like Baltimore’s Penn Station. However, there have been delays in meeting the aggressive timeline to double ridership by 2040. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the introduction of next-generation Acela train sets, initially scheduled for 2021, may face further delays due to defects identified in a recent performance audit of the nine-car train sets.
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