Construction will soon begin for Chicago Union Station’s first ‘level boarding’ platforms, which will serve multiple tracks and enable boarding without ramps, stairs or lifts.

The project has ben valued at 112 million USD, and will seek to create a more accessible, streamlined experience for Amtrak passengers.

The project will see the construction of level boarding platforms at Chicago’s Union Station

© Amtrak

With completion expected within 30-months of the construction start date, the project will see a total conversion of dormant platforms originally built for mail and parcels into passenger platforms compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act whilst increasing rail capacity and enhancing operational flexibility.

Once operational, the platforms will include a climate-controlled waiting area with restrooms and access for tracks 30 and higher, and will also aim to provide critical interim capacity during future station modernisation efforts, helping maintain passenger service while other platforms undergo reconstruction.

Amtrak Vice President of Infrastructure Project Delivery Warren LeBeau, said:

Today marks an exciting milestone for the Chicago Hub Improvement Program as construction begins on Platforms 30 through 38 at Chicago Union Station. This investment will deliver a fully ADA-compliant, level boarding platform that makes travel easier and more convenient for all Amtrak passengers, while launching a new chapter of improvements at the station.

Together, these investments are creating a more welcoming, modern, and customer-focused station for the millions of travelers who pass through it each year.

Major construction work on the new platforms is set to begin by the end of 2026, and the project as a whole has been funded by Congress through a 49.6 million USD FY22-23 Federal State Partnership Grant administered by the Federal Railroad Administration, 40 million USD in FY25 Federal Appropriations, and 22.4 million USD in local match contributions from Amtrak, City of Chicago, and Cook County. Amtrak and Illinois Department of Transportation were joint applicants for the federal grant.

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