Rail passengers on the Northeast Corridor (NEC) between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore will soon notice increased construction activity at the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program site as Amtrak's tunneling contractor ramps up preparatory work necessary to launch the first of two tunnel boring machines in 2028.
Following more than a year of extensive evaluations, Amtrak and FRA have identified several opportunities to optimize overall program design, improve constructability and scheduling and address cost pressures, according to Amtrak. At the same time, Amtrak has advanced major work to prepare for realignment of the NEC south of the future tunnels, including utility relocations and the replacement of the Mulberry Street Bridge.
About B&P Tunnel Replacement Program
The existing B&P Tunnel is the oldest Amtrak tunnel and a single point of failure for the 15 million Amtrak and MARC customers who rely on it. This 1.4-mi. tunnel opened in 1873 and suffers from a variety of age-related issues, leading to frequent delays and extensive maintenance needs. The tunnel is at capacity and its tight curves limit train speeds to a maximum of 30 mph.
The B&P Tunnel Replacement program — Amtrak's largest-ever single infrastructure investment — will unlock the most congested rail bottleneck south of New Jersey with two new state-of-the-art tunnels for electrified Amtrak and MARC passenger trains, along with a new fully accessible West Baltimore MARC Station, 10 mi. of rail infrastructure upgrades, and local street and bridge improvements along the alignment, according to Amtrak.
"Replacing the 153-year-old B&P Tunnel is critical to improving safety and reliability along the Northeast Corridor, America's busiest passenger railroad." said Amtrak President Roger Harris. "Thanks to a strong partnership with FRA Administrator Fink and the entire FRA team, this investment is advancing with a clear path forward."
Visible Construction Progress Under Way
Amtrak and its contractor's work is clearly visible to rail passengers traveling between the West Baltimore MARC station and the south portal of the existing B&P Tunnel. Over the past year, Amtrak and its contractors have:
- Advanced work on the new Mulberry Street railroad bridge, including excavation and construction of initial footings for the new structure. This bridge is the first of five being reconstructed as part of the program.
- Progressed manufacturing of two tunnel boring machines (TBM) that will build the two new tunnel tubes; the first TBM is now more than 50 percent complete.
- Continued work toward a new 345-ft.-long utility tunnel. Once completed in 2027, it will carry water, sewer, communications and electrical utilities underneath the existing and future NEC tracks, according to Amtrak.
Amtrak photo
Seen here are the utility relocations under way.
Strong Value Engineering, Optimization Opportunities
In response to challenging construction market conditions and cost escalation, Amtrak and FRA have identified significant cost savings through value engineering to help partially mitigate cost pressures, stated Amtrak. The company's planned optimizations include:
- Eliminating the future Intermediate Ventilation Facility and its smaller connecting tunnel without negatively impacting safety or train operations, while also reducing construction impacts to the surrounding community, according to Amtrak.
- Raising the future tunnel's vertical track alignment at its deepest point approximately 10-22 ft. The tunnel will still maintain a maximum depth of approximately 150 ft. below street level at this location (between Penn North Metro Station and the future North Ventilation Facility).
