Thursday, July 18, 2024 Amtrak has completed upgrades worth nearly $10 million at the Holdrege and Hastings stations, enhancing accessibility and comfort for travelers. The Amtrak California Zephyr, which makes two daily stops at these Central Nebraska stations, connects Chicago to the San Francisco Bay area, passing through Omaha, Denver, Salt Lake City, and Reno. “With construction, renovation, repair, and upgrade projects at stations across the country, station accessibility is a priority we’re actively pursuing with funding from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act,” said Dr.
David Handera, Amtrak Vice President, Accessibility, Stations and Facilities. Amtrak has enhanced accessibility for passengers with disabilities, those with strollers, and travelers with wheeled luggage by constructing platforms and crossings for easy boarding from both BNSF Railway Co. tracks in Holdrege, and by installing a new 860-foot boarding platform in Hastings.
In Holdrege, a new heated shelter now stands on the platform as part of a $5 million upgrade. In Hastings, the passenger waiting area within the 122-year-old, privately-owned Spanish Colonial Revival Style depot was renovated as part of a $4.7 million investment.
Local subcontractors carried out much of the work in both towns, adding features like accessible parking, public right-of-way access with sloped walkways and safety barriers, energy-efficient LED lighting for better pathway and platform visibility, a new wh.