Amtrak’s Frederick Douglass Tunnel has entered a new phase of construction. Formerly known as the Baltimore and Potomac tunnel, early construction work for to replace the 150-year-old tunnel began in March 2023. Crews have now mobilized to begin demolition of the first of 47 residential and commercial properties acquired by Amtrak for the project.
Amtrak says the work is being performed by two local small businesses that have experience performing demolition work.
Located just south of Baltimore Penn Station, the new tunnel, named in honor of civil rights leader and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, will serve electrified passenger trains with two parallel, single-track tunnel tubes, each approximately two 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.
On Feb. 7, Amtrak selected the Kiewit/J.F. Shea Joint Venture to build the brand new passenger rail tunnel that will serve electrified Amtrak and MARC commuter trains as a part of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel.
During the past decade, Amtrak, the Federal Railroad Administration and Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration have conducted hundreds of outreach engagements with residents and community organizations to guide program development, share updates and discuss future activities. The tunnel is primarily funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program will modernize and transform a 10-mile section of the Northeast Corridor, improving reliability and travel times for millions of people while also upgrading local infrastructure in the west Baltimore, Md., area, including replacing the Edmondson and Lafayette Street Bridges.
Amtrak has also awarded major construction contracts for the new tunnel and the “Southern Approach,” which includes building new rail infrastructure that will be located south of the new tunnel. Amtrak expects major construction to begin later in 2024, likely starting in the summer.
