Why does Washington Union Station have low-level platforms

I’m surprised to see a major station such as Washington Union Station with low-level platforms, at least on the platforms where Amtrak long-distance trains stop to change locomotives.

Why wouldn’t this station have high-level platforms, given its high passenger volumes?

Thanks.

Superliners

MARC camden/lines west and VRE all are low platform

SR: Washington Union Station traditionally always had low level platforms.

The high-level platforms on the upper level were first built for the Metroliner project
just over 50 years ago.

I believe there were originally two island platforms serving four tracks.

With the Metroliner project Wilmington and Baltimore got one island high platform
constructed at each station for the first time serving two tracks at each station.
There were once no high level platforms south of 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.

BTG: Having both low and high level platforms at WAS allowed Amtrak to equip trains
#29 and #30 with Superliners - this was another way to ferry equipment to and from
the Auto Train from Chicago.

With the entire VRE operation now using equipment requiring low level platforms
there will not be any need for additional high level platforms at WAS at least for the current time...MACTRAXX

scratchyX wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 11:59 am MARC camden/lines west and VRE all are low platform

Negative. VRE is all low platform and runs low platform equipment. MARC runs high/low equipment, because Brunswick is almost all low, Camden's mostly low (Greenbelt and Camden Yards are high), and Penn's mostly all high (because NEC/Amtrak).

MACTRAXX wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 8:31 pm With the entire VRE operation now using equipment requiring low level platforms
there will not be any need for additional high level platforms at WAS at least for the current time...MACTRAXX

VRE board off of 3-4 low-platform tracks at the "far end" of Washington Union Station. Everything else is high platform...

...except if you have to walk past two train sets to get to your train (and it slopes down to low), or you hit one of the few low-platform north-bound tracks. I've done both with luggage. It's not fun.

Thanks, everyone!

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 9:17 pm

scratchyX wrote: ↑Tue May 12, 2020 11:59 am MARC camden/lines west and VRE all are low platform

Negative. VRE is all low platform and runs low platform equipment. MARC runs high/low equipment, because Brunswick is almost all low, Camden's mostly low (Greenbelt and Camden Yards are high), and Penn's mostly all high (because NEC/Amtrak).

Frederick is a curved platform, as is west baltimore on the penn line,
Thus they are low platform.
iirc, CSX requires a dedicated track for high platform, and I'm assuming that gauntlet tracks aren't an option.

scratchyX wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 11:43 am Frederick is a curved platform, as is west baltimore on the penn line,
Thus they are low platform.
iirc, CSX requires a dedicated track for high platform, and I'm assuming that gauntlet tracks aren't an option.

West Baltimore isn't as curved as you may think, but to get it to high platform + ADA compliance will be a major undertaking to the tune of rebuilding the entire station... which needs to happen anyway with the B&P Tunnel replacement project.

The Washington Union Station master plan calls for converting everything to high level platforms, except for one, to allow two tracks for VRE and the Capitol Limited.

jcepler1 wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 8:55 am The Washington Union Station master plan calls for converting everything to high level platforms, except for one, to allow two tracks for VRE and the Capitol Limited.

Don't forget the through-running long-distance services like the Silver services.

All trains south of DC use Amfleet equipment. They don't need a low-level platform.

Rockingham Racer wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 10:27 am All trains south of DC use Amfleet equipment. They don't need a low-level platform.

What about VRE? They are exclusively low-level with their Gallery Cars nowadays. Unless if they were to acquire new high level cars and spend billions of dollars reconstructing every station in their system to accommodate them.

BILLIONS of dollars? They do plan to spend millions, though--on lengthening platforms and constructing others where there is only one platform.

Thanks for pointing out the VRE operation. My point above is that Amfleet equipment can operate on both low and high level platforms. I should've been clearer.

I am surprised that the platforms are truly low-level and not intermediate-level for level boarding with Superliners and the steps of the VRE equipment (which technically with traps could serve a high-level platform, but the wide stairway doesn't lend itself to traps). The last time I was at WUS, as I recall the low-level platforms were level with the top of the rail, not even the 8" ATR that new platforms in freight territory are built to.