Rail - Stanwood - New Station

Quarterly Project Report Update for Quarter Ending March 2007

Project Title & Location
Stanwood - New Station

Project Description
The $5.0 million project would establish the station facilities needed for a new Amtrak Cascades stop in Stanwood.

Contractor/Consultant
BNSF Railway, Fort Worth, Texas

Recent Progress
This project will design and construct a new passenger platform and other facilities at Stanwood to be served by Amtrak Cascades trains. As previously reported, construction is estimated to be completed by November 2007, a 5-month delay.  WSDOT has requested that up to $4.5 million of the $5 million budget be reappropriated into the 2007-2009 biennium.

 

It was previously reported that BNSF Railway has notified WSDOT that an extension to the siding at Stanwood will be required before Amtrak Cascades trains can serve the station facility.  BNSF has since indicated that the company might be willing to allow service at the station facility to begin prior to the siding being extended if funds for the extension was assured. 

The siding extension is beyond the scope of a separate project, Stanwood - Siding Upgrade, currently in design.  The preliminary cost estimate for the siding extension was provided to WSDOT at the end of February.  The costs of the siding extension have not been fully analyzed by WSDOT, but appear to be $16 million beyond the funded siding upgrades.  Several factors, including substantial wetland impacts and mitigation, need further analysis to confirm the estimate.

Design Construction Impacts
The station will be located between 271st Street and a power substation in downtown Stanwood.  It is unlikely that construction will have an adverse impact on the community, as the site is a vacant lot.  However, construction of a platform could have a temporary impact on rail operations in the area.

Environmental Impacts / Compliance
The environmental impacts have not been determined.

Impacts to Traffic
Impacts to rail and roadway traffic have not been determined.

Project Milestones Scheduled Attained Milestone Outlook
Project Report Complete Mar 2006 Mar 2006
Begin Preliminary Engineering Apr 2006 Apr 2006
Complete Environmental Documentation Apr 2007
Construction Begins May 2007 Construction may be impacted by new federal rules on train station platform design.
Construction Complete Nov 2007
Project Cost Summary: Dollars in
millions
Percent
of Total

Planned vs. Actual Expenditures
(Total Project Cost)
Project Expenditure Chart

Preliminary Engineering $0.5 10%
Right-of-Way
Construction $4.5 90%
Funded Project Costs $5.0 100%

Nickel funds included in above costs

2005 Transportation Partnership Account

  For more information, go to www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects

Kirk Fredrickson, Project Manager at 360-705-7939 or E-mail: fredrik@wsdot.wa.gov