By rosebell
As part of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, the busiest passenger rail line in the US on the service between Boston and Washington DC, Amtrak’s East River Tunnel (ERT) Rehabilitation project’s Notice to Proceed to provide construction management services has been delivered to STV and Naik Consulting Group.
STV, that is a professional services firm that plans, designs and manages infrastructure projects across North America, as well as Naik Consulting Group, an infrastructure design and construction/program management company concentrated in the New York and New Jersey area, are the subsets of this joint venture.
The joint venture will modernise the ERT infrastructure, including two tunnels damaged by Superstorm Sandy.
Reconstructing and upgrading all tunnel systems along the corridor, including demolishing all existing tunnel systems down to the liner; rehabilitating the tunnel structure; replacing cable benches; installing new fire life safety systems; replacing signals and traction power; and converting the tracks to a modern, direct fixation track system, are the contents of this project.
The advantages of this upgrading plan is due to be decreasing noise, reducing disruptive vibrations for passengers and improve durability, reliability and ride quality as the system will be less susceptible to weather-related damage and breakdowns in the tunnel. In addition to the underground locations, work will also be undertaken at Penn Station in Manhattan, and Sunnyside Yard in Queens. This will include signal houses, new traction power cables and facilities in Queens.
According to Richard Amodei, president of transportation northeast at STV: “We are proud to work on this project that will shape the future of transportation along the Northeast Corridor for the next century. By modernising the rail system and prioritising service enhancements, robust safety measures and long-term resilience, we are improving mobility and accessibility while driving economic growth and fostering a more connected region for decades to come.”
Being funded by the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA), the ERT consists of four tunnels that link New York City to eastern destinations, and is used by Amtrak, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) and NJ Transit trains.
The scheduled date for completing this project by Amtrak following issued the Request for Qualification in April last year is late 2027.
