Archinect - News

Brightline's SoCal to Las Vegas high speed rail project could soon be underway

2022-12-05T15:45:00-05:00

A long-awaited high-speed rail project connecting Las Vegas to Southern California is reportedly ready to proceed in 2023 as an $8 billion proposal from rail operator Brightline is nearing permitting permission from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

According to the International Railway Journal (IRJ), the project would include three stops along a 49-mile stretch of land along Interstate 15. The railway system is expected to reduce car traffic between Los Angeles and Vegas by 3 million vehicles per year and transport passengers at speeds around 180 miles for a trip that would only take a little more than 2 hours from end to end. The company says the project would create up to 1,000 permanent jobs in both states.

A proposed map of the network showing a Metrolink connection to central Los Angeles. Image courtesy of Brightline.

Operations could begin as soon as 2026 or 2027 depending on the start date, which Brightline West CEO Mike Reininger says will happen in “a matter of w...

Grimshaw and Arup unveil designs for their massive Union Station revamp in D.C.

2022-07-26T18:35:00-04:00

A short month removed from its last update on the $10 billion project, Grimshaw Architects has unveiled renderings for the expansion of Union Station in Washington, D.C. that provide a clearer picture of how the revised plan will take shape over the coming two decades.

At the center of the design is the new train concourse defined by a clear-span roof canopy and beset with a series of skylight features lying directly north of the existing Beaux-Arts hall from 1907. Much of that original structure has been left untouched, while transportation upgrades are present in the form of expanded rail platforms, an elevated and greenery-lined new drop-off area, and new entry portals that alleviate crowding from the Columbus Circle side while allowing access to the nearby H Street corridor.

Image courtesy Federal Railroad Administration via U.S. Commission of Fine Arts

Image courtesy Federal Railroad Administration v...

New image renders of DC's Union Station redevelopment paint a picture for this $10 billion project

2022-06-16T14:57:00-04:00

A general picture of the proposed $10 billion overhaul of Washington, D.C. Union Station is bit clearer this week after the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts released renderings of a revised plan from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA).

Earlier in May, the FRA scrapped parts of that plan that included a six-story car park and alternate reconfiguration of the station’s aging bus terminal. That agency has now formally resubmitted its amended proposal, which still calls to add a variety of new features to the historic 115-year-old station, for the Commission's approval. As reported by The Washington Post, the revisions are expected to add to the project's total cost.

Image courtesy Federal Railroad Administration via U.S. Commission of Fine Arts

Amongst the more significant changes, the planned car park has been moved underground, freeing up public areas around the station’s train hall and Columbus Circle-a...