Amtrak and its partners have officially cut the ribbon on a brand-new 250 million USD Maintenance and Inspection Facility in Seattle.
The facility, which was delivered both on time and 50 million USD under budget, has been designed to support Amtrak’s new Airo fleet, which debuted last month, and will open in phases through the end of 2026.
At almost 100,000 square feet; the building is the first maintenance facility of its kind for Amtrak, and features three tracks r inspecting, servicing and performing heavy maintenance on a full trainset.
Amtrak Executive Vice President of Capital Delivery Laura Mason:This new facility represents a major step forward for Amtrak and our customers in the Pacific Northwest.
By providing our teams the modern tools and space to maintain an entire Airo trainset at once, we can work more efficiently while continuing our commitment to safe, reliable and comfortable service for the next generation of Amtrak Cascades customers.
The building is capable of accommodating an entire Amtrak Cascades Airo trainset, and is equipped with a drop table and split rail system, overhead bridge crane, monorail crane, sanding system and diesel in addition to wayside water and air hose reels, sanitary and vacuum waste hoses, head-end power cabinets, and a fall protection lifeline system.
Additionally, the site includes a new parking deck for employees and covered storage for maintenance materials, and forms part of Amtrak’s wider investment in new and upgraded maintenance facilities across the country to support today’s fleet and the next generation of trains. These new facilities aim to allow full trainsets to be both inspected and serviced together, reducing downtime, improving efficiency and keeping trains ready for customers.
The facility was developed with over 40 subcontractors, many of which are based in the Pacific Northwest, helping to create approximately 120 construction jobs. Major project highlights include:
- Two-level, 39,000-square-foot parking deck for employees and material storage
- 4,000 linear feet of rail
- 16,000 cubic yards of concrete
- 2.4 million pounds of concrete reinforcement
- 12 million pounds of structural steel
- 439 driven piles (11 miles in length)
- 132 drilled piles (three miles in length)
