USA: Amtrak has selected Wohlsen Construction to build its Unified Operations Center in Wilmington, Delaware.
The $53m UOC will provide integrated 24/7 monitoring and management of national operations, as well as dispatching for the mid-Atlantic Division covering the Washington – Philadelphia – Harrisburg corridor. It will also house the national operational control centre which manages fleet and crew assignments and co-ordinates response to service disruptions.
Amtrak plans to consolidate other functions into the building including the Amtrak Police Department’s National Communications Center, the Amtrak Test Kitchen with associated offices, and Digital Technology personnel. These teams will be relocated from temporary office space at Wilmington station.
The Amtrak UOC is expected to be completed in 2027, replacing the current Consolidated National Operating Center and Wilmington Dispatching Office located next to a flood-prone river.
UOC ‘will drive enhanced reliability, efficiency, safety and customer service’, said Amtrak Executive Vice-President Service Delivery & Operations Gery Williams on April 4. ‘The new UOC is part of Amtrak’s transformation from legacy systems and practices to a modern, sustainable control centre capable of supporting Amtrak’s long-term strategy to double ridership by 2040.’
