STV to Design Amtrak Richmond Converter Station Upgrade

STV will develop the preliminary design for the Amtrak Richmond converter station upgrade in Philadelphia, advancing the replacement of SFC #4 at the railroad’s largest traction power converter facility.

STV announced on July 21 that Amtrak selected the firm⁠ for the assignment at Richmond SFC Station. The Philadelphia facility is also described as one of the world’s largest railway converter stations and supports traction power on the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C., New York and Harrisburg.

Preliminary design will define the next project phase

The engineering scope begins with a full site survey, an infrastructure assessment and a state-of-good-repair review. STV will then evaluate available technologies and prepare design criteria, drawings, technical specifications, and estimates for construction cost and schedule.

Those deliverables will support the next phase of the project, but the announcement does not identify a construction start date, completion timetable or contract value. The current award therefore covers preliminary design rather than the physical replacement of SFC #4.

The work will also require coordination with environmental and historic-preservation stakeholders because the station lies within a National Register boundary.

“Modernizing this converter station is essential to strengthening the long-term performance and reliability of one of the most heavily used rail corridors in the country,” said Brandon Swartley, vice president and engineering chief at STV.

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Why the Richmond converter station matters?

Frequency converter stations are a critical part of the electrified railway. On the southern Northeast Corridor, the equipment converts commercial electricity operating at 60 Hz into the 25 Hz alternating current used to power Amtrak and commuter trains, according to the Federal Railroad Administration⁠.

That power supply supports a corridor used by Amtrak and eight regional rail providers. More than 2,000 trains carry nearly 700,000 riders on the Northeast Corridor each weekday, according to a 2026 Amtrak and Northeast Corridor Commission update⁠.

Replacing SFC #4 is therefore intended to strengthen a largely unseen system that directly supports daily intercity and regional rail operations. STV’s preliminary design will determine the technical approach, cost assumptions and schedule framework needed before Amtrak can advance the converter replacement into its next delivery phase.