Groundbreaking Power Distribution Meets Mechanical Mastery at LIRR Jamaica Station

Project Overview

The Facility

Jamaica Station, located in Queens, New York, is one of North America’s busiest rail stations. Its strategic location connects travelers to various destinations across Long Island and Manhattan.

Jamaica Station has the same issues as many public transit terminals, including poor wireless connectivity due to their congested urban spaces, concrete infrastructure, and often underground platforms. Unlike open outdoor environments easily covered by a single macrocell, these environments require small cell densification to overcome signal barriers. Balancing renovation work with uninterrupted commuter flow amidst weekday ridership exceeding 200,000 passengers adds complexity, necessitating innovative solutions and meticulous planning.

The Challenge

The project aimed to upgrade Jamaica Station to accommodate increased commuter capacity by implementing cutting-edge wireless connectivity solutions across its six island platforms. However, traditional power distribution methods were unsuitable for the diverse array of high-powered radios needed throughout the station. Additionally, Meeting MTA specifications for weatherproof, secure, and inconspicuous equipment posed challenges. Installation in a high-traffic area and adapting to scope changes further tested team agility and cross-functional cooperation.

The Solution

The objective was straightforward: To build a communications infrastructure consisting of a variety of SOLID Multi-Power Remote Optic Units and 5G mm-Wave radios throughout the station to ensure connectivity from anywhere. Traditionally, power would need to be branched off from AC mains, distributed, and conditioned according to the load. This is prohibitively expensive and time-consuming when provisioning a large variety of high-powered radios. VoltServer was chosen to deliver the remote power using their Digital Electricity platform. The solution converts analog electricity into Digital Electricity, which can then be distributed using low-voltage wiring practices to receivers that convert the power back to analog AC or DC at the prescribed load voltage.

The station’s six platforms covering thousands of square feet demanded a large network of energized equipment—all of which had to be protected and organized in a safe, consolidated manner. That’s where Faber’s mechanical expertise became invaluable.

The first challenge was to design and fabricate multiple head-end IT racks that could shelve the dozens of VoltServer transmitters required for the project. The custom racks were designed for oversized wire management with room-to-mount lightning protection circuits. The centralized point of power distribution provided the foundation for a universal battery backup so that devices could stay online in the event of a power outage.

At the load ends of the system, the magnitude and scope of the project presented their own hurdles. More than 60 powered devices required dozens of power drop points, and cabinets were needed to house the receivers and cable connections.

The goal was to optimize cabinet space with the strategic arrangement of interior equipment, enabling easy access to each component during service. Faber initially started the design with one of its off-the-shelf enclosures. Still, scope changes—including the addition of Wi-Fi access points throughout the platforms—led to the creation of brand-new enclosures. They each incorporated a subpanel to secure the Digital Electricity receivers, the lightning protection circuits, terminal blocks, and heat exchanger systems while providing easy termination points for the power connections. The design included a second set of hinges near the back so that the entire cabinet could flip outwards, providing rear access to components and connector
Implementation Details