Rehabilitation and Upgrades at Wallingford, Meriden & Berlin Train Stations

OHLA USA’s subsidiary, Judlau Contracting, constructed three rail stations in Berlin, Meriden, and Wallingford. These three stations are a part of Amtrak’s New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Rail, which was newly branded as the Hartford Line. The project offers more frequent train stops and encourages commuters to use rail travel more consistently.

Each station has a pedestrian overpass, two elevators, two platform snowmelt systems, and two 550-foot-long partially covered platforms. Surface parking lots were provided at each station to accommodate 218 vehicles in Berlin, 79 vehicles in Meriden, and 221 vehicles in Wallingford. The stair towers include a waiting area and mechanical, electrical, communications, and storage rooms. The pedestrian bridges provide an ADA-compliant track crossing with elevators and stair towers. The overpass was built on the ground and erected in one structural piece using a 600T crane. Steel canopies cover a portion of the platforms. The canopies are weatherproofed from above with sheathing and a standing seam metal roof.

A 500-foot platform was constructed for each station's northbound and southbound tracks. Platform topping support was constructed with precast beams and planks weighing upward of 18,000 pounds and erected using 40T and 80T cranes. The exposed platform surface was poured in place using microsilica mix cast in ADA tiles and a post-installed polyethylene rubbing board. The microsilica is embedded with PEX tubing that carries a heated glycol/water mixture to melt snow prior to accumulation. This system runs back to a centralized snowmelt mechanical room, located at the back of each platform.

A fully concealed electrical system was installed for passenger information displays, variable message signs, public address systems, video surveillance systems using CCTV security cameras, LED lighting, blue phone emergency call stations, ticket vending machines, and a fire alarm.