Amtrak has announced progress on preparatory work for the B&P Tunnel Replacement Programme, ahead of tunnel boring commencing in 2028.
After more than a year of engineering reviews, Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) have identified opportunities to optimise the programme’s design, improve constructability and scheduling, and reduce costs.
Meanwhile, major enabling work is under way, including utility relocations, construction of a new Mulberry Street railroad bridge, and preparations to realign the Northeast Corridor south of the future tunnels.
Since the first major construction contract was awarded in late 2023, activity has accelerated across the project. Utility relocation began in 2024, and much of the work is now visible to passengers travelling between West Baltimore MARC Station and the south portal of the existing B&P Tunnel.
Key milestones over the past year include:
- Manufacturing of the two TBMs, with the first now more than 50% complete.
- Completion of a major milestone on the 105m utility tunnel, which will carry water, sewer, communications and electrical services beneath the existing and future rail corridor when it opens in 2027.
- Progress on the new Mulberry Street railroad bridge, including excavation and foundation work. It is the first of five bridges to be rebuilt as part of the programme.
In response to rising construction costs and challenging market conditions, Amtrak and the FRA have completed value engineering work to reduce costs while maintaining the programme’s core safety and reliability objectives.
The refinements include:
- Eliminating the planned Intermediate Ventilation Facility and its connecting tunnel without affecting safety or train operations, while reducing impacts on nearby communities.
- Raising the tunnel alignment by approximately 3-6.7m at its deepest point, reducing excavation requirements and improving both construction efficiency and long-term operations. The tunnel will still reach a maximum depth of about 45m below street level.
- Optimising systems and construction sequencing to allow more work to be carried out in parallel, improving overall delivery.
Amtrak president Roger Harris said replacing the 153-year-old B&P Tunnel was critical to improving safety and reliability along the Northeast Corridor, the US’s busiest passenger railroad.
“This investment is advancing with a clear path forward as we work toward opening the new Frederick Douglass Tunnel in 2036. Successful delivery of this programme will continue to rely on support and collaboration from all our partners to address and mitigate current and future challenges,” he said.
The existing 2.25km B&P Tunnel, connecting Baltimore’s Penn Station to Washington DC and Virginia, opened in 1873. It is Amtrak’s oldest tunnel and a major bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor. Used by approximately 15 million Amtrak and MARC passengers each year, it is considered a single point of failure because of its age, maintenance requirements and tight curves, which limit train speeds to 50kph.
The B&P Tunnel Replacement Programme is Amtrak’s largest single infrastructure investment. It includes construction of two new electrified passenger rail tunnels, a fully accessible West Baltimore MARC Station, 16km of rail infrastructure upgrades, and a series of street and bridge improvements.
