Amtrak Invests $112 Million to Renovate Platforms at Chicago Union Station

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On November 10, Amtrak (the National Railroad Passenger Corporation) launched the renovation of Platforms 30 through 38 at Chicago Union Station. The project represents an investment of $112 million and has a construction period of approximately 30 months. The project will convert former railway platforms—previously used for mail and package handling and currently out of service—into passenger platforms, building level boarding facilities compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and increasing the station's passenger capacity.

The project involves the existing Platforms 30 through 38 area at Chicago Union Station. After renovation, passengers will be able to board and alight directly from the platforms without the need for ramps, stairs, or lifts. The platforms will serve multiple tracks and will be complemented by a climate-controlled waiting area equipped with restrooms, providing passengers with a centralized waiting and boarding space. The related facilities will cover Track 30 and above.

This renovation makes use of the station's existing mail handling facilities. The platforms were previously connected to postal facilities above the railway tracks, and after postal operations relocated, the original platforms gradually fell out of use. This project will convert them back into passenger facilities, revitalizing existing railway space while increasing usable platform capacity.

The project adopts a design-bid-build model, with Clark Construction serving as the general contractor and WSP USA continuing as the lead designer, providing design services during the construction phase. HNTB is responsible for project management and construction management, providing construction management support to Amtrak's internal Capital Project Delivery department.

The project's $112 million in funding is shared among federal and local sources. Of this, $49.6 million comes from the Federal-State Partnership for Intercity Passenger Rail Program for Fiscal Years 2022–2023 administered by the Federal Railroad Administration, $40 million comes from Fiscal Year 2025 federal appropriations, and $22.4 million is local matching funding provided by Amtrak, the City of Chicago, and Cook County. Amtrak and the Illinois Department of Transportation jointly applied for the relevant federal funding.

This project is the first to enter the construction phase under the Chicago Hub Improvement Program (CHIP). Subsequent station modernization work also includes renovation of the concourse, mezzanine, entrances and exits, and existing passenger platforms. Once Platforms 30 through 38 are in service, they will also provide temporary passenger capacity during the phased reconstruction of other platforms, reducing the impact of construction on normal station operations.