B&P Tunnel Replacement Moves Toward 2028 Boring Start

USA: Amtrak is advancing the B&P Tunnel replacement in Baltimore, with preparatory work accelerating for the first tunnel boring machine launch in 2028 and design changes intended to reduce costs.

Amtrak’s July 28 update marks a shift from early enabling works toward preparations for excavating the two new Frederick Douglass Tunnel tubes. The replacement will carry electrified Amtrak and MARC passenger trains beneath West Baltimore.

The existing 1.4-mile B&P Tunnel opened in 1873. Its tight curves limit trains to 30 mph, while age-related defects require extensive maintenance and contribute to recurring delays. Amtrak describes it as a single point of failure for 15 million Amtrak and MARC passengers.

Design changes reshape the B&P Tunnel replacement

After more than a year of evaluations, Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration identified changes intended to improve construction sequencing and respond to cost pressures.

The revised plan would eliminate the intermediate ventilation facility and its smaller connecting tunnel. Engineers also plan to raise the future track alignment by approximately 10 to 22 feet at its deepest section, reducing excavation while retaining a maximum depth of about 150 feet below street level at that location.

Amtrak also plans to optimize tunnel systems and resequence activities, including using parallel construction schedules where feasible. The update did not provide a revised total program cost.

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B&P Tunnel replacement reaches TBM manufacturing milestone

Manufacturing is under way for two tunnel boring machines, one for each new tube. The first machine is more than 50% complete, and the tunneling contractor is preparing the site for its planned launch in 2028.

Work is also advancing above and below the active Northeast Corridor. Crews have excavated and built initial footings for the new Mulberry Street railroad bridge, the first of five bridges to be reconstructed under the program.

A separate 345-foot utility tunnel is due for completion in 2027. It will carry water, sewer, communications and electrical infrastructure beneath the existing and future NEC tracks, clearing the way for the corridor realignment south of the new tunnels.

New tunnel remains scheduled to open in 2036

Each of the two new tunnel tubes will be approximately two miles long. According to the current B&P Tunnel replacement program schedule, the wider project remains in construction and is estimated for completion in 2036.

The program also covers a fully accessible West Baltimore MARC station, five bridge replacements and modernization across 10 miles of the Northeast Corridor. The new alignment is designed for passenger trains traveling at up to 100 mph, compared with the 30 mph limit inside the existing tunnel.

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