Amtrak - Route Connection Builder Redesign
Amtrak Route Connection Builder (RCB) is a powerful internal web application built to help Amtrak's operations team search, create, review, and manage train route connections more efficiently. Designed with usability and data density in mind, the RCB simplifies complex logistics workflows—enabling team members to find route connections, simulate schedules, add new data, or download reports with ease.
Washington, United States
1971
RailRoad
Goal
Build a scalable UI from scratch to support complex route operations and train scheduling for internal users.
Results
The redesigned Amtrak Route Connection Builder web application delivered a clean, efficient, and user-centric interface for complex backend operations. By introducing a modular design system, simplified workflows, and responsive data visualizations, the new platform significantly improved internal usability and speed of route management.
30%
reduction in time spent on manual connection entries
10+
Consistent UI language across complex workflows
N/A
Error handling, autosave, and audit trail features enhanced data integrity
My Role
As the Lead UI Designer, I was responsible for:
Designing the entire UI from scratch
Creating a component-based Design System
Building scalable UI workflows for connection search, simulation, saving, and export
Optimizing data-dense screens for clarity and efficiency
Design System
To ensure consistency, scalability, and ease of development, I designed a comprehensive Design System tailored to the complex needs of the Amtrak Route Connection Builder. This system included a set of reusable components such as input fields, dropdowns, buttons, modals, and responsive data tables—each optimized for accessibility and performance. Clear typographic hierarchy, a consistent color palette, and visual states for actions like error, success, and disabled helped maintain uniformity across all workflows. I also established UI tokens for spacing, elevation, and interaction feedback to streamline future updates and developer handoff. This foundation allowed for faster iterations, easy onboarding of new components, and a cohesive experience across the entire platform.
Conclusion
The Amtrak RCB redesign successfully transformed a legacy system into a modern, scalable, and user-friendly internal web application. With a clean UI, intuitive workflows, and a flexible design system, the platform now empowers Amtrak's operations team to manage route connections more efficiently and with fewer errors. This project highlights the value of design thinking and UI excellence in solving high-complexity enterprise challenges.