STV to Support Modernization of Amtrak’s Largest Rail Power Converter Station

Amtrak has selected STV to develop the preliminary design to modernize the agency’s largest traction power converter station. Located in Philadelphia, PA, the station is one of the largest in the world and helps power Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.

The railway converter station converts electrical power into a form that is used for traction power for trains and also helps ensure a continuous and efficient power supply. The new converter station is intended to improve reliability along the busy routes between Washington, DC, New York, and Harrisburg, PA.

“Modernizing this converter station is essential to strengthening the long-term performance and reliability of one of the most heavily used rail corridors in the country,” said Brandon Swartley, vice president and engineering chief at STV.

STV’s role includes conducting a site survey, infrastructure assessment, state-of-good-repair review, and technology evaluation, all in coordination with environmental and historical preservation stakeholders. STV’s team will prepare design criteria, drawings, technical specifications, construction cost estimates, and schedule for the next project phase.

STV has supported Amtrak on several other programs, including traction power and railway systems engineering for the Gateway Hudson River Tunnel Project—the largest infrastructure project in the U.S.