Springfield Station Platform C - New High Level Platform

[lordsigma12345]

MassDOT and Amtrak finally released the bid solicitation for improvements at Springfield, MA station. These improvements complement the recent project by the city to restore the historic Union Station building by adding a high level platform. The project will be done in concert with Amtrak in-house personnel with the awarded contractor doing the platform work, and Amtrak crews doing the track 4 and 6 repositioning work.

Drawings are available here:
https://www.commbuys.com/bso/external/b ... entUrl=bid" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Kilo Echo]

Will one platform suffice?

[Backshophoss]

Should be OK for now since it will be awhile before the service ramps up.
Track 6 is where 448/449 (Lake Shore Ltd) stops.

[lordsigma12345]

While it can be assumed that with the new platform C that tracks 4 and 6 will now be the primary tracks to make ADA accessibility easier, track 8 and its low level platform D (closest platform to the current entrance) will also remain in service for overflow though no upgrades to it are currently planned. Trains 448/449 use the far platforms A and B and I'm assuming that will remain unchanged as allowing the LSL to use tracks 4, 6, and 8 would require a new switching connection between the B&A and Amtrak tracks west of the platforms - what is not yet clear is how passengers of the LSL will enter after work is complete - if they will still enter via platform D and then cross the tracks as they do now or if they will enter from the second floor of the new union station. If any additional platform work isto be done down the road I would assume it would be platform D which would then make all the tracks used by the Hartford Line, Shuttles, Regionals, and Vermonter ADA accessible. But apparently this will suffice for all currently planned service.

[lordsigma12345]

MassDOT and Amtrak finally released the bid solicitation for improvements at Springfield, MA station. These improvements complement the recent project by the city to restore the historic Union Station building by adding a high level platform. The project will be done in concert with Amtrak in-house personnel with the awarded contractor doing the platform work, and Amtrak crews doing the track 4 and 6 repositioning work.

Drawings are available here:
https://www.commbuys.com/bso/external/b ... entUrl=bid" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just to add - some preliminary work has already been completed - the elevator shaft, pit, tunnel electrical room, and elevator machine room have been partially constructed by the contractors who did the main Union Station rehab.

[lordsigma12345]

Will one platform suffice?

It should. The new elevated platform will be an island platform serving both tracks 4 and 6 so they get two for the price of one. Plus track 8 will remain in use for overflow (but still with a low level platform.)

What isnt clear yet is Amtrak's full scope of track work. If they made an interconnection between the tracks west of the station they could speed up operations for whatever trains end up running on the knowledge corridor as they could then use the north leg of the wye to access the CT river line and not have to make the backup move that the Vermonter has to make. They could simply change between locomotive and cab car at the platform. Such an interconnection would also allow the Lake Shore to exit the CSX main line and use the new high level platform and then continue on and re-enter the CSX tracks on the opposite side of the station. I guess we'll see if they do that.

I would imagine that whatever train runs the knowledge corridor will always operate with the locomotive facing south so that they can always get back to Springfield in the event of a cab car problem.