VHB is partnering with transit agencies on meaningful station design projects that enhance mobility, strengthen system performance, and support long-term growth in communities throughout the east coast. Guiding projects from planning through construction, our integrated team approaches station design by aligning infrastructure, circulation, and multimodal connections while maintaining service and minimizing risk. Explore these recent examples that demonstrate how we enhance both station functionality and rider experience:
Windsor Locks Station and Track Improvements | Connecticut
As part of their efforts to improve passenger rail service along the New Haven-Hartford-Springfield (NHHS) corridor, VHB supported the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) with the Windsor Locks Train Station and Track Improvements project. VHB’s multidisciplinary team delivered site/civil, drainage design, permitting support, and construction phase services for the new station.
The project involved the construction of a single 500-foot-long, partially covered high-level platform, a surface parking lot that accommodates 160 vehicles, one and a half miles of Amtrak rail upgrades, and the construction of a new maintenance-of-way yard. Providing a critical link to Bradley International Airport, the new station also includes a cross-platform passenger loading and unloading area to support connecting bus service to the airport.
Local and state officials hope that these station improvements will enhance connectivity and spur transit-oriented development in the area.
Crystal City Station | Virginia
VHB is supporting the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) in their efforts to enhance Crystal City Station, with a goal to improve fluidity, reduce passenger and freight conflicts, enhance safety, and strengthen multimodal connectivity at one of the busiest stations in the system. This initiative will replace the existing 400-foot platform serving a single track with a center island platform served by two tracks. This design allows full-length eight-car trains, reduces bottlenecks, and improves reliability along the CSX Richmond, Fredericksburg, and Potomac Railroad Subdivision.
The redesigned station will also include two new entrances connecting Crystal Drive to the central rail platform with upgraded accessibility and safety features. Once completed, the station design will enhance efficiency, improve safety, and integrate seamlessly with surrounding transportation investments.
Palmer Union Station | Massachusetts
VHB’s transit and rail team is supporting the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) with the Palmer Station project, aimed at enhancing passenger rail access from Boston to western Massachusetts and beyond. The project will reintroduce intercity passenger service to the region. Though passenger service to Palmer Station ceased in 1971, the town remains a key railroad junction, with both freight and passenger trains passing through the community daily.
Foxboro Station Improvements
Collaborating with MBTA, MassDOT, the Town of Foxborough, and other partners, VHB supported the Foxboro Station Improvements Project, which aimed to transform a station primarily associated with special-event rail service into a permanent commuter rail asset supporting everyday regional mobility and major special events. Our multidisciplinary team worked on an accelerated schedule to complete the upgrades in time for the World Cup, when thousands of fans traveled by rail to Gilette Stadium.
We delivered an accessible station with greater capacity and more efficient circulation—improvements designed to meet the demands of the tournament while serving riders for years to come. Completed in just 10 months, the project was recognized by state and MBTA officials as the fastest permanent station construction project in MBTA history.
Discover how VHB delivers integrated passenger rail station solutions that balance operational performance, passenger experience, and constructability.
