Temporary track outage will modernize critical tunnel infrastructure, improve long-term reliability, and require service changes south of D.C.
WASHINGTON — Amtrak today announced, “Pause for Progress [1],” a critical infrastructure upgrade scheduled to take place this fall in the First Street Tunnel just south of Washington Union Station.
For a nine-day period, from October 16–26, 2026, Amtrak will implement a temporary service outage at “A-Interlocking” to replace aging track components and improve reliability along the Northeast Corridor and into the Southeast. The outage will begin after the close of service Friday, Oct. 16, and conclude before service resumes Monday morning, Oct. 26.
A-Interlocking is a critical track and control point within the First Street Tunnel, responsible for routing all Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) train movements between Washington Union Station and Virginia. The existing switches and crossovers are beyond their service life, requiring a 10-mph speed restriction that impacts operations. “Pause for Progress” is designed to address those limitations and help prevent larger, unplanned service disruptions.
A short-term, coordinated outage is more efficient due to the confined tunnel environment and limited access, making phased construction impractical. Customers traveling to or from Washington, D.C. from the south should expect significant service reductions and train cancellations.
Once completed, this investment will deliver:
🛡️ Improved safety and reliability
⏱️ Fewer delays and better on-time performance
🏗️ Modern infrastructure for future demand
During the outage, crews will:
🛤️ Replace outdated switches and crossovers
🧱 Rehabilitate the tunnel track base
⚡ Install modern electric switch systems
Affected routes include:
| Route | Operating Segments (October 16–26, 2026) |
| 🚆 Northeast Regional [2] | North of Washington, D.C. (WAS):
· Operating between: Washington (WAS) – New York (NYP) – Boston (BOS) South of Washington, D.C. (WAS): · Amtrak Virginia [3] service will operate: o 1 round trip Norfolk (NFK) – Alexandria (ALX) o 1 round trip Roanoke (RNK) – Alexandria (ALX) Amtrak Virginia [3] Bus Bridge: · 3 roundtrip buses timed to connect with trains between Alexandria (ALX) and Washington, D.C. (WAS) Amtrak Virginia [3] Express Bus Service: · 1 roundtrip: Roanoke (RNK), Lynchburg (LYH), Washington, D.C. (WAS) · 1 roundtrip: Charlottesville (CVS), Washington, D.C. (WAS) · 2 roundtrips: Virginia Beach (VAB), Norfolk (NFK), Newport News, (NPN) Williamsburg (WBG), Washington, D.C.(WAS) · 1 roundtrip: Norfolk (NFK), Newport News (NPN), Williamsburg (WBG), Washington, D.C.(WAS) · 2 roundtrips: Richmond Staples Mill (RVR), Washington, D.C. (WAS) · 1 roundtrip: Richmond Main Street Station (RVM), Washington, D.C. (WAS) |
| 🌆 Carolinian [4] | · Operating as train between New York (NYP) – Washington D.C. (WAS)
· Bus Bridge connection between Washington Union Station (WAS) – Alexandria (ALX) · Operating as train between Alexandria (ALX) – Charlotte (CLT) |
| 🏙️ Cardinal [5] | · Operating Chicago (CHI) – Indianapolis (IND) only |
| 🌴 Floridian [6] | · Operating Chicago (CHI) – Pittsburgh (PGH) only
· Operating Jacksonville (JAX) – Miami (MIA) only |
| 🌙 Silver Meteor [7] | · Operating New York (NYP) – Washington, D.C. (WAS) only
· Operating Jacksonville (JAX) – Miami (MIA) only |
| 🌿 Palmetto [7] | · Operating New York (NYP) – Washington, D.C. (WAS) only |
| 🌄 Crescent [8] | · Operating New York (NYP) – Washington, D.C. (WAS) only
· Operating Atlanta (ATL) – New Orleans (NOL) only |
Amtrak is coordinating closely with partners at Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA [9]), VRE [10], and North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT [11]) to ensure consistent messaging and a seamless customer experience. During the work, Carolinian [12] service will continue with a coordinated bus connection to and from Washington Union Station, allowing customers to complete their trips with a transfer between the train and bus. Amtrak will support customers with rebooking options and alternative travel solutions as well as updates via Amtrak.com [13] and customer channels. To learn more, click here [1].