Amtrak Advances Major Construction Activities for the B&P Tunnel Replacement Program and Identifies Optimization Opportunities in Coordination with FRA

Continued success relies on close collaboration among Amtrak, FRA, Maryland, and other partners including the City of Baltimore and Baltimore Gas & Electric

BALTIMORE – 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. At the same time, Amtrak has advanced major work to prepare for realignment of the NEC south of the future tunnels, including utility relocations, replacement of the Mulberry Street Bridge, and more.

🎙️ FRA Administrator David Fink

“President Trump and Secretary Duffy are committed to delivering big, beautiful infrastructure projects to move the American people safely and efficiently. The FRA worked with Amtrak to improve the design of the B&P Tunnel while maintaining the highest safety standards and delivering another transformative rail project on the Northeast Corridor.”

🎙️ Amtrak President Roger Harris

“Replacing the 153-year-old B&P Tunnel is critical to improving safety and reliability along the Northeast Corridor, America’s busiest passenger railroad. Thanks to a strong partnership with Administrator Fink and the entire FRA team, 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 program will continue to rely on support and collaboration from all our partners to address and mitigate current and future challenges.”

🏗️ Visible Construction Progress Underway: Since the first major construction contract was awarded in late 2023 and utility relocation began in 2024, construction activities have accelerated. Amtrak and its contractors have made significant progress, much of which 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% complete.
• Accomplished a major milestone on a new 345-foot-long utility tunnel, an essential enabling project. Once completed in 2027, it will carry water, sewer, communications, and electrical utilities underneath the existing and future NEC tracks.

📊 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. Amtrak and its partners have refined costs and streamlined construction plans while maintaining the Program’s core goals of improving safety and reliability. 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.
• Raising the future tunnel’s vertical track alignment at its deepest point approximately 10 to 22 feet, reducing excavation needs and improving construction efficiency and long-term operations. The tunnel will still maintain a maximum depth of approximately 150 feet below street level at this location (between Penn North Metro Station and the future North Ventilation Facility).
• Optimizing systems and resequencing work activities to enable more efficient delivery, including greater use of parallel construction schedules where feasible.

🤝 Continued Stakeholder Coordination: While ongoing efforts are strengthening program delivery, challenges remain that could affect the critical path, as with any major infrastructure program. Amtrak, FRA, and the State of Maryland are committed to proactively addressing these risks by deepening collaboration and streamlining processes across all stakeholders. The success of this transformative investment depends on strong, sustained partnership. Amtrak values the continued support and engagement of BGE and the City of Baltimore and looks forward to working together to advance shared goals, overcome challenges, and deliver lasting benefits to the region.

🚄 About the 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-mile 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.

This 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 miles of rail infrastructure upgrades, and local street and bridge improvements along the alignment.