Amtrak officials say passengers on the Northeast Corridor will soon see increased construction activity in West Baltimore as a contractor ramps up work on the Frederick Douglass Tunnel project, a $6 billion initiative to replace the 153-year-old Baltimore & Potomac (B&P) Tunnel between Penn Station in midtown and the MARC station in West Baltimore.
The increased activity is preparatory work by Amtrak’s tunneling contractor as it gets ready to launch the first of two tunnel-boring machines in 2028. The entire project is scheduled for completion in 2036.
Following more than a year of extensive evaluations, officials say, Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration [FRA] have identified several opportunities to optimize the project’s design, improve constructability and scheduling, and address cost pressures.
At the same time, they say, Amtrak has begun preparing for realignment of the Northeast Corridor south of the future tunnel, including utility relocations and replacement of the Mulberry Street railroad bridge.
“Replacing the 153-year-old B&P Tunnel is critical to improving safety and reliability along the Northeast Corridor, America’s busiest passenger railroad” route, said Amtrak President Roger Harris, in a statement.
“Thanks to a strong partnership with [FRA Administrator David] Fink and the entire FRA team, this investment is advancing with a clear path forward as we work toward opening the new Frederick Douglass Tunnel in 2036″ he said. “Successful delivery of this program will continue to rely on support and collaboration from all our partners to address and mitigate current and future challenges.”
West Baltimore bottleneck
The 1.4-mile B&P Tunnel, which opened in 1873, is the oldest Amtrak tunnel and the largest bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor between Washington and New Jersey. It was targeted for replacement because it suffers from a variety of age-related issues –including excessive water infiltration, a deteriorating structure and a sinking floor – and that leads to frequent delays and extensive maintenance needs. In addition, officials say, it’s operating at capacity; it can’t be upgraded with modern fire and life safety systems, and its tight curves limit train speeds to a maximum of 30 miles per hour.
The B&P Tunnel Replacement Program — Amtrak’s largest-ever single infrastructure investment – was launched to unlock the West Baltimore bottleneck with two new high-capacity, state-of-the-art tunnel tubes designed for electrified Amtrak and MARC passenger trains, along with a new West Baltimore MARC station, 10 miles of rail infrastructure upgrades, and local street and bridge improvements along the alignment.
The new Frederick Douglass Tunnel, named for the Maryland-born abolitionist and orator who lived from 1818 to 1895, will be approximately two miles long and has been designed to support travel speeds up to 100 miles per hour.
To pay for the tunnel, the federal government is providing $4.5 billion through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act; Amtrak is contributing roughly $750 million and the State of Maryland is committing $450 million.
The money is being used to dig the twin tubes for the tunnel; rebuild five roadway and railroad bridges along the track alignment; construct the West Baltimore MARC station and establish a $50 million Community Investment Fund for West Baltimore neighborhoods near the construction zone.
Activity accelerating
The first major construction contract was awarded in late 2023 and utility relocation began in 2024. With activity accelerating, officials say, work is now clearly visible to passengers traveling between the West Baltimore MARC station and the south opening of the existing B&P Tunnel.
Over the past year, they say, Amtrak and its contractors have:
- Advanced work on a new Mulberry Street railroad bridge, including excavation and construction of footings for it.
- Moved ahead with manufacturing of two tunnel boring machines that will create the two new tunnel tubes. The first tunnel boring machine is now more than 50 percent complete.
- Made progress on creating a 345-foot-long utility tunnel, which is needed for the larger project. Once it’s completed in 2027, the utility tunnel will carry water, sewer, communications, and electrical utilities underneath the existing and future Northeast Corridor tracks.
In response to challenging construction market conditions and cost escalation, officials say, Amtrak and the FRA have identified significant cost savings through value engineering and other measures to help partially mitigate cost pressures. Optimizations include:
- Removing a ventilation facility: Eliminating an intermediate ventilation facility and its smaller connecting tunnel without negatively affecting safety or train operations, while also reducing disruption to the area where the ventilation facility was to go. The ventilation facility would have been visible along the North Avenue corridor and drew opposition from area residents who said it would be an eyesore.
- Realigning tracks: Raising the future tunnel’s vertical track alignment at its deepest point approximately 10 to 22 feet, reducing excavation needs and improving construction efficiency and long-term operations. The tunnel will still maintain a maximum depth of approximately 150 feet below street level at this location, which is between the Penn North Metro Station and the future North Ventilation Facility.
- Modifying construction schedules: Optimizing systems and resequencing work activities to enable more efficient delivery, including greater use of parallel construction schedules where feasible.
While these efforts are strengthening program delivery, officials say, challenges remain that could affect the timetable, as with any major infrastructure program.
“Amtrak, FRA, and the State of Maryland are committed to proactively addressing these risks by deepening collaboration and streamlining processes across all stakeholders,” Amtrak officials say. “The success of this transformative investment depends on strong, sustained partnership. Amtrak values the continued support and engagement of BGE and the City of Baltimore and looks forward to working together to advance shared goals, overcome challenges, and deliver lasting benefits to the region.”
