BURLINGTON, Iowa — It's a plan that is years in the making.
Thursday, Aug. 25, officials with the City of Burlington and Amtrak finally broke ground on the multi-million dollar investment at the Burlington Station. Talks between Amtrak and the city started nearly a decade ago.
The $11.5 million investment will go towards two new boarding platforms, new station signage and guardrails for the train station. These upgrades are expected to take two years to complete.
City officials told News 8's Nina Burns those two boarding platforms are at the top of their improvement list. That's because they were forced to raise the tracks higher than the current platforms in order to combat severe flooding.
"We're so happy with the role that we play and making communities a more attractive place to live," said Derrick James, the director of affairs for Amtrak. "And so the fact that Burlington has Amtrak service, and maybe another community does not … we think is a feather in the cap of Burlington."
James told News 8 that this project is one of many across Amtrak's service in the United States. The company has invested $489 million in its nearly 200 stations over the last decade.
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