Amtrak to Upgrade King Street Rail Yard in Seattle

Amtrak is set to embark on a significant upgrade project at its King Street Rail Yard in Seattle. This 300 million USD project, funded by the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, is part of Amtrak's broader vision to modernise passenger rail services across the country.

Amtrak will soon begin major rail yard upgrades in Seattle (C) Amtrak

The upgraded King Street Yard will introduce more efficient and modern maintenance practices to Amtrak's operations. This will help prepare for the new Amtrak Airo trains[1], which are expected to enter service in 2026 on the Amtrak Cascades route. The yard will also serve as a maintenance hub for Long Distance routes operating from Seattle.

Once completed, the rail yard will feature a state-of-the-art two-bay Maintenance and Inspection (M&I) facility and a new Service and Cleaning (S&C) bay.

"We look forward to breaking ground soon on this important project that will modernise maintenance and upgrade the overall customer experience. Thank you to the Biden-Harris Administration, Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, Representatives Pramila Jayapal, Rick Larsen, and the rest of the Washington congressional delegation who supported passage of the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act and continued investments in passenger rail." PCL Construction Services, Inc. will oversee the design and construction of this project, managed by Amtrak's Capital Delivery department.

The work will involve relocating existing facilities, upgrading utilities, and creating additional space to store essential maintenance materials. Crucially, regular train services will continue throughout the duration of the project, with completion expected in 2027.

"Thanks to the hard work of the Biden-Harris Administration and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's historic funding, we're finally addressing long-standing rail needs, advancing major projects, and upgrading vital infrastructure across the country, including Amtrak stations and facilities like the King Street Coach Yard. The new Seattle facility and rail yard will benefit riders on several Amtrak routes, including Amtrak's Cascades route, and upgrades will ensure it is positioned for future growth."

The project will be executed within the rail yard's existing footprint, located south of Seattle's Stadium District.

The new maintenance facility will be designed to operate without fossil fuels for heating, in line with Amtrak's Net-Zero Strategy.

References

1. ^ Amtrak Airo trains (railway-news.com)