Shinkansenfan
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Amtrak's busiest station by ridership--New York Penn Station--is set to expand into the new Moynihan Train Hall. Opens New Year's day 2021.
Moynihan Train Hall (MTH) is a westward expansion of the station across 8 Avenue. Amtrak's ticketing offices, waiting room, baggage check in facilties and baggage claim facilities will also shift to MTH, except during overnight hours when MTH will be closed to the public and the existing station facilities will be used. This primarily affects passengers riding trains 66 and 67, the overnight train to Boston and Washington DC.
Along with MTH, there will be a new first class lounge, which has been rebranded to the original name of "Metropolitan Lounge." This was the name used before the Acela trainsets were introduced. The Metropolitan Lounge was rebranded as Club Acela, and now the original name reverts. Unlike today's lounge, which is windowless and cramped during peak hours, the new lounge will be larger, have upgraded food and beverage service, and features a north facing indoor terrace overlooking the skylit great hall with sidewalk cafe type seating, and wing backed chairs overlooking 31 Street. In between are a variety of seating configurations for individual travelers, couples, small groups and families.
In addition, to MTH a fleet of 8 new custom designed, self propelled, baggage carts that can carry 2,500 pounds of baggage will be deployed in service. The first four carts have entered service with the balance due next week.
These self propelled carts replace older self propelled carts that are approximately 70 years old, which I believe are the oldest continuously operated self propelled baggage carts at any major railway station. These double ended carts feature power steering at both ends of the cart (to eliminate the need to turn carts), regenerative braking, touch screens and computer diagnostics. The carts are designed to fit within the confines of Amtrak's baggage elevators and negotiate the eccentric platform widths that are variable, and negotiate tight turns and ramps in the back of house areas. The reason they are of a bespoke design is that an extensive search during the design stage found that there were no existing off the shelf carts that could meet Amtrak's requirements. These carts are intended to have a 35 year life span.
I'm the project manager for the design and procurement of this new fleet of baggage carts. Under a separate contract, I planned portions of the new MTH, including the ticketing area, baggage check in, baggage claim, baggage sorting room, parcel express facilities and other back of house areas.
More information on MTH here: https://www.amtrak.com/about-amtrak/future-of-rail/moynihan-train-hall.html
Moynihan Train Hall (MTH) is a westward expansion of the station across 8 Avenue. Amtrak's ticketing offices, waiting room, baggage check in facilties and baggage claim facilities will also shift to MTH, except during overnight hours when MTH will be closed to the public and the existing station facilities will be used. This primarily affects passengers riding trains 66 and 67, the overnight train to Boston and Washington DC.
Along with MTH, there will be a new first class lounge, which has been rebranded to the original name of "Metropolitan Lounge." This was the name used before the Acela trainsets were introduced. The Metropolitan Lounge was rebranded as Club Acela, and now the original name reverts. Unlike today's lounge, which is windowless and cramped during peak hours, the new lounge will be larger, have upgraded food and beverage service, and features a north facing indoor terrace overlooking the skylit great hall with sidewalk cafe type seating, and wing backed chairs overlooking 31 Street. In between are a variety of seating configurations for individual travelers, couples, small groups and families.
In addition, to MTH a fleet of 8 new custom designed, self propelled, baggage carts that can carry 2,500 pounds of baggage will be deployed in service. The first four carts have entered service with the balance due next week.
These self propelled carts replace older self propelled carts that are approximately 70 years old, which I believe are the oldest continuously operated self propelled baggage carts at any major railway station. These double ended carts feature power steering at both ends of the cart (to eliminate the need to turn carts), regenerative braking, touch screens and computer diagnostics. The carts are designed to fit within the confines of Amtrak's baggage elevators and negotiate the eccentric platform widths that are variable, and negotiate tight turns and ramps in the back of house areas. The reason they are of a bespoke design is that an extensive search during the design stage found that there were no existing off the shelf carts that could meet Amtrak's requirements. These carts are intended to have a 35 year life span.
I'm the project manager for the design and procurement of this new fleet of baggage carts. Under a separate contract, I planned portions of the new MTH, including the ticketing area, baggage check in, baggage claim, baggage sorting room, parcel express facilities and other back of house areas.
More information on MTH here: https://www.amtrak.com/about-amtrak/future-of-rail/moynihan-train-hall.html
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