Rail yards run on precision—and the buildings that support them have to keep up.

At Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s Saint Paul railyard, we transformed an aging operations tower into a modern facility designed to improve visibility, safety, and day-to-day efficiency.

Located within Canadian Pacific Kansas City’s active Saint Paul railyard, this project focused on transforming and expanding an operations tower that plays a critical role in daily rail activity. The client needed a facility that would improve visibility across the yard while allowing operations to continue throughout construction.

We began by rethinking how the tower supports both rail operations and the people who work there. The renovated building now includes updated management offices, shop space, a crew break room serving the east side of the yard, and a new elevator that improves accessibility throughout the structure.

Improving sightlines across the railyard was a key goal. We worked closely with the yardmaster and trainmaster to understand how trains are sequenced and managed in real time, then configured the tower to support clearer views and more efficient decision-making.

The site itself introduced significant challenges. The tower sits within ten feet of an active main rail line and connects to an operational catwalk, requiring rail activity and building access to remain functional during construction. In addition, swamp-like soil conditions required deep helical piers to stabilize the structure and meet flood elevation requirements.

Through careful coordination with the construction team and CPKC staff, the project delivered a modern operations facility that improves visibility, safety, and efficiency across the railyard.