Amtrak has awarded the first of three crucial construction contracts for the Zoo to Paoli Electrification Transmission Line Program. HNTB was selected for project and construction management support for the substation at Bryn Mawr and the Bryn Mawr to Paoli segment of the overall project. This multi-year program – separate from the track work underway between Harrisburg and Lancaster – will upgrade the electrification system along an 18-mile section of track between the Zoo Substation in Philadelphia and the Paoli Substation in Chester County.
“Once this program 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,” said Amtrak Executive Vice President of Capital Delivery Laura Mason. “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.”
The multi-year program will be implemented in coordination with state and local partners at PennDOT and SEPTA. Once complete, all overhead wire and catenary poles will be restored to a state-of-good-repair. The existing high voltage transmission line (138kV), located off Amtrak’s right-of-way, will be moved onto Amtrak property. Construction of the new transmission line will require:
330 new catenary structures
static wire and associated electric insulators
upgrading the existing Bryn Mawr switching station for 138kV service and enhanced electric supply resiliency
upgrading the existing signal power system within the project limits for system standardization from 3.3kV to 6.9kV
decommissioning the existing off-corridor transmission lines and demolition of the existing OCS structures
-via Press Release
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