The project aims to enhance the electrification system along an 18-mile stretch between Philadelphia and Chester County. Credit: Kyle Lee/Shutterstock.

Amtrak has issued a contract to HNTB pertaining to an upgrade of the power system along a critical segment of the Harrisburg Line, a rail line in the US state of Pennsylvania.

The project, known as the Zoo to Paoli Electrification Transmission Line Programme, involves enhancing the electrification system over an 18-mile stretch between Philadelphia and Chester County.

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HNTB has been selected to provide project and construction management support for the Bryn Mawr substation and the segment extending to Paoli.

The multi-year programme, separate from the ongoing track work between Harrisburg and Lancaster, aims to restore all overhead wires and catenary poles to good repair.

It will also relocate the existing 138kV high voltage transmission line onto Amtrak property, requiring the construction of 330 new catenary structures, static wire, insulators, and upgrading of the signal power system. This will be carried out in partnership with PennDOT and SEPTA.

The Bryn Mawr substation replacement is the first of three major components of the programme.

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The existing substation will be demolished and replaced with new equipment to bolster the power supply and simplify maintenance. Vanalt Electrical Construction has been contracted for this work, set to begin in Fall 2024.

Amtrak capital delivery executive vice president Laura Mason said: “Once this programme is complete, Amtrak’s Keystone Service and Pennsylvanian trains, as well as the SEPTA Paoli Thorndale Line, will benefit from more reliable service thanks to a modern overhead catenary system (OCS) and power generation and distribution infrastructure.

“Our goal is to increase reliability and efficiency along this heavily traveled portion of the railroad, which includes Amtrak’s longest distance between power substations along the New York-Washington-Harrisburg corridor.”

For the Paoli to Bryn Mawr Transmission Line, Amtrak has started procurement with an advanced notice and a request for qualifications. A request for proposals will follow in December 2024, with a contract award expected early 2025.

The Bryn Mawr to Zoo Transmission Line segment is currently in the planning phase, with procurement anticipated to start between 2027 and 2028.

This programme is part of the Federal Railroad Administration’s 2024 NEC Project Inventory, making it eligible for Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program funding.

Amtrak is adopting a design-bid-build approach for the transmission line segments and is currently procuring management services for the Bryn Mawr substation replacement and Paoli to Bryn Mawr OCS upgrades.

These upgrades are part of Amtrak’s historic infrastructure improvements, with over $6bn committed in the first half of fiscal year 2024 to various projects.

Recently, Amtrak, alongside the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the Town of Westport, and Canadian Pacific Railway, completed accessibility upgrades at Westport Station.