Renovation of Amtrak Lancaster, Pa., station moving forward

Following a productive meeting late the week of July 26, Amtrak and the Lancaster County Planning Commission (LCPC) said that issues surrounding the renovation of the Lancaster Station have been resolved and the project is moving forward as planned. As a result of the meeting, it was determined that no additional funds beyond Amtrak's estimate of $1.7 million provided to the LCPC in 2008 will be needed for Amtrak's construction support.

The meeting, which was
requested by Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Representative Joe Pitts (R-Pa.),
included representatives from Amtrak, the Lancaster County Board of Commissioners
as well as Senator Casey’s, Representative Pitts’ and State Senator Lloyd Smucker’s
(R-13) offices and provided a communications forum that all agreed was
positive.

At the meeting, Amtrak
agreed to provide more support of the project at the station through closer
coordination of scheduling with LCPC’s construction managers, KCI Technologies.
It was also agreed that Amtrak and the LCPC would increase communication by convening
periodic senior-level update meetings. Lastly, Amtrak offered to provide more detailed
information on project invoices to the County of Lancaster to assist in greater
transparency of Amtrak costs.

"The successful
completion of the Lancaster Station renovation project is a priority for us and
we intend to perform our work within budget," said Marilyn Jamison, senior
director, Major Project Partnerships for Amtrak. "We look forward to working
with the Lancaster County Planning Commission to bring this project to
fruition."

"I am pleased this
important renovation will be able to continue to move forward without an undue
burden on the taxpayers of Lancaster County," said Senator Bob Casey.
"This renovated train station will provide a needed boost to Lancaster’s
transportation system while helping grow ridership on the Keystone
Corridor."

"I was very pleased to
learn that the County of Lancaster, the Lancaster County Transportation
Authority and Amtrak have agreed to work closely together to guarantee that the
Lancaster Amtrak station renovation project will be done on time and within the
original budgeted amount," said Congressman Joe Pitts. "This important
renovation and modernization project will allow the station to act as a portal
into the city of Lancaster and indeed, the entire county. The spirit of
cooperation and problem solving demonstrated by all the organizations involved
in this process was very encouraging."

"It was obvious from the
beginning of the meeting that both the county and Amtrak came to the meeting
with a spirit of cooperation and team work, said Commissioner Scott Martin. "During
the course of the meeting, information came to light that provided a
clarification for all and emphasized the importance of delivering a timely and
cost-effective project that’s within budget. This new spirit of cooperation
will ensure that the project partners deliver a great project to the Lancaster
County community."

"A renovated train
station will be a boon to our community. I’m heartened that we were able to
come to the table, communicate openly about how to achieve a successful station
renovation project, and reach an acceptable agreement," said Commissioner Craig
Lehman. The county and Amtrak are committed to moving forward as partners."

Commissioners Martin and
Lehman thanked Senator Casey and Congressman Pitts for their leadership in
bringing all of the parties together.

At issue was the original
Amtrak cost estimate ($833,280), which was prepared in 2007 without a
construction schedule from the LCPC that focused heavily on non-construction
related activities. A revised cost estimate ($1.7 million) was prepared in 2008
and provided to the LCPC after Amtrak’s review of the planned communication and
electrical work that Amtrak labor forces are entitled to perform at
Amtrak-owned stations per its union agreements.