Amtrak Focuses on Station Improvement

Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station

David C. Lester

WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Amtrak is using stimulus money not only to refurbish its equipment, but its stations, too.

If you’ve been reading the coverage of Brightline in Railway Age and Railway Track & Structures over the past several months, you know that one of the new railroad’s development strategies is to invest in real estate around its stations, which attracts investment and projects from other real estate developers. This is something that has long been an Amtrak goal, but they have not had the money to do it – until now.

The stimulus money from Washington is allowing Amtrak to purchase new equipment and refurbish some older equipment. These funds are also allowing the agency to take a look at its major stations to make some long-needed additions and improvements.

The Wall Street Journal reported this week on some of the work going on now and some that is planned for the near future.. The newspaper cites station refurbishment plans for Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, and New York’s Pennsylvania Station.

The Journal reports that “Amtrak is trying to take advantage of potential profit centers that were historically an asset to railroads. Around the world, real-estate clusters around centrally located train stations have enjoyed high values and reliable tenants including apartment dwellers, restaurants and hotels. In places such as Baltimore, the prospect that the railroad could finally redevelop some of its properties has local officials hopeful it will help reinvigorate urban centers.”

In addition, Amtrak believes that refurbished stations with modern amenities will help it achieve its goal of doubling its ridership by 2040.