This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
2/6/2024
Amtrak has selected Kiewit/J.F. Shea Joint Venture to build the Frederick Douglass Tunnel, a passenger-rail tunnel that will serve electrified Amtrak and MARC commuter trains.
The contract award represents a milestone in the project, with construction scheduled to begin in 2026, Amtrak officials said in a press release.
Located just south of Baltimore Penn Station, the new tunnel will serve electrified passenger trains with two parallel, single-track tunnel tubes, each approximately 2 miles long. It will also support much faster travel speeds than the existing tunnel, where trains are currently limited to maximum speeds of 30 mph due to the tight curves, Amtrak officials said.
"We are one step closer to unlocking the biggest passenger-rail bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) between Washington, D.C., and New Jersey," said Amtrak Executive Vice President-Capital Delivery Laura Mason. "This would not be possible without historic funding through the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act, as well as continued support from the Biden-Harris administration, Federal Railroad Administration and our funding partners at Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration."
The project will modernize and transform about 10 miles of the NEC. The overall program is scheduled for completion in 2035 and will be delivered through three major construction contracts, which include:• replacing five roadway and rail bridges; building new rail infrastructure, such as interlockings, tracks and catenary/power, and constructing a new ADA-accessible West Baltimore MARC Station;• building both tubes of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel; and• fitting out the new tunnel with track, rail systems and ventilation facilities.
The new tunnel is named in honor of civil rights leader and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, a Maryland native whose 206th birthday will be marked later this month. The structure will replace the existing B&P Tunnel that opened 150 years ago.