New York Construction Report staff writer
Amtrak has begun construction on a new maintenance and inspection facility at Sunnyside Yard that will support the introduction of its new Airo trainsets and improve operations at the Queens rail yard.
The project is expected to open in phases through 2030 and is designed to speed up train maintenance, reduce turnaround times and improve working conditions for Amtrak employees.
Amtrak Executive Vice President of Capital Delivery Laura Mason said the project is part of a broader investment in passenger rail infrastructure in New York.
“Together with our partners at the Federal Railroad Administration, we’re building the modern infrastructure needed to support our new Airo trains and deliver safer, more reliable service for decades to come,” Mason said.
The project includes a new two-track maintenance and inspection facility, six service and cleaning tracks and improvements to 11 existing service platforms.
The work also will consolidate the yard’s commissary, employee work areas, material storage and parking into a single location, including a modular office compound.
Other infrastructure improvements will include the reconfiguration of two major interlockings and track connections between Sunnyside Yard and the Northeast Corridor.
Federal Railroad Administrator David Fink said the project is part of a major federal investment in Amtrak infrastructure.
“Once completed, this facility will reduce maintenance downtime, helping Amtrak deliver reliable service and usher in a new Golden Age for American passenger rail,” Fink said.
The facility is being designed to support Amtrak’s Airo trainsets, which will replace passenger cars that have been in service for more than 50 years.
The new trains are expected to provide improved accessibility, greater comfort and enhanced reliability.
Airo trainsets will serve several routes across the East Coast, including Northeast Regional service, Amtrak Virginia and New Haven-Springfield-Greenfield trains.
They also will operate on state-supported routes including Empire Service, Keystone Service, Maple Leaf, Vermonter, Ethan Allen Express, Adirondack and Carolinian, as well as the Palmetto long-distance service.
The upgraded Sunnyside facilities also will be used to maintain and store NextGen Acela, long-distance and commuter trains that operate from the yard.
Rail Passengers Association President and CEO Jim Mathews said the project reflects the importance of investing in the infrastructure needed to support passenger rail.
“We no longer have to wait for good things to happen for America’s passengers,” Mathews said. “They’re happening now, today, here in Sunnyside and in cities across the country.”
The new facility is expected to open in phases through 2030.
