Amtrak upgrades track between DC, Baltimore

Amtrak crews are upgrading 31 miles of track between Washington Union and Baltimore Penn stations as part of infrastructure improvements along the Northeast Corridor, the railroad announced yesterday.

The improvement project is designed to increase track capacity, improve the ride quality and offer greater reliability that will benefit Acela and other Amtrak riders and commuters along the corridor between Washington, D.C., and Boston, Amtrak officials said in a press release.

The infrastructure work now underway is in preparation for the introduction of new next-generation Acela Express fleet, slated to begin entering service in 2021, they said.

About 2,200 Amtrak, commuter and freight trains operate on the Washington-Boston route each day. In fiscal-year 2018, 18.3 million trips were made by Amtrak customers on the Northeast Corridor, according to Amtrak.