USA: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority has awarded HNTB Corp a contract to provide consultancy services for the final design phase of the King of Prussia Rail Project, a planned 6·4 km five-station branch off Philadelphia’s Norristown High Speed Line third-rail interurban line.
SEPTA has committed $390m for KOP Rail in its FY2023 Capital Budget, and the agency is to seek funding from the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grant programme to support up to 60% of the total cost.
Under the contract announced on February 23, HNTB will progress the engineering and architectural design from 30% to final design, which is required for the project to be eligible for FTA New Starts funding. Total contract value for Basic Design & Construction Documentation (Phase A) and Construction Related Services (Phase B) is $125m.
Subject to funding being secured, construction of the branch is expected to begin in 2025.
King of Prussia’s unusual name comes from an 18th century inn, and the area is now home to a large shopping mall. ‘KOP Rail will connect the three largest employment hubs in the region — Center City, University City and King of Prussia — increasing access to 60 000 jobs’, said SEPTA Board Chairman Pasquale T Deon Sr. ‘Frequent and reliable transit service is necessary for our region’s economy to recover and grow.’
