Yes. Amtrak regularly performs federally mandated inspections and maintenance in the existing tunnel to ensure that it continues to be safe and operational for train service. Amtrak is advancing the design and construction of the new Frederick Douglass Tunnel to create a new, higher-capacity tunnel for the 9 million MARC and Amtrak passengers that rely on it.
Yes, the existing tunnel will continue to be used by diesel freight trains for the foreseeable future. At the current time, diesel freight trains use the B&P Tunnel for two round trips per week and do not transport hazardous materials.
The Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program includes two new high-capacity tunnel tubes for electrified passenger trains, new roadway and railroad bridges, new track, rail systems, and railroad infrastructure, and a new ADA-accessible West Baltimore MARC Station.
Amtrak has determined that two tunnel tubes will be sufficient to add more passenger trains, utilize the available funding and shorten the construction duration. No date for the construction of additional tunnel tubes has been identified. If service needs increase and funding is available in the future, two additional tunnel tubes could eventually be designed and constructed.
The two new tunnel tubes being constructed for the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program will only serve electrified passenger trains for MTA’s Penn Line (MARC) and Amtrak under normal operations. MTA has committed to electrifying its Penn Line trains to support this program.
The Tunnel Ventilation Systems, designed in accordance with the NFPA-130 standard, are building facilities that provide protection for train passengers in the event of an emergency. They provide stairs for emergency evacuation to the surface, as well as emergency fans that could extract smoke from the tunnel in the unlikely event of a fire.
The new Frederick Douglass Tunnel under normal train operations will only service electric passenger MTA MARC Penn Line and Amtrak trains. MTA has committed to electrifying its Penn Line trains to support this program. The fans will be tested periodically to ensure that they remain operational but will not run under normal operations. The ventilation facilities will not pose health or safety risks that would negatively impact people in the community. Emissions associated with the ventilation facility will not cause, or substantially contribute to a violation of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), standards established by the U.S. EPA, to protect human health and welfare, including children.
No. The two tunnel tubes for the Frederick Douglass Tunnel are being designed for electrified passenger rail trains.
Yes, building two tunnel tubes as opposed to four tunnel tubes will reduce the capacity for trains through Baltimore. However, the higher operational performance with two new tunnel tubes will provide for significantly increased passenger train capacity above the existing tunnel, along with faster track speeds and a more comfortable ride. The new tunnel and upgraded tracks will allow both MARC and Amtrak to add more passenger trains, adding more travel options for Marylanders and Amtrak riders across the Northeast Corridor.
Public participation and input is a priority throughout the program. In addition to public and community meetings, the public will be able to review information on the program website at Amtrak.com/fdtunnel. In addition, there is a dedicated email address, [email protected], and phone number, (443) 423-1115, for the public to contact members of the program team. The public is also encouraged to follow the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program via Facebook (“Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program”) and Instagram (@FDTunnel). If you are interested in joining our project mailing list, scan this QR code to get periodic updates from our team.
Amtrak is committed to investing in the communities that we serve. Amtrak has committed $50 million to mitigate the adverse impacts of the program. Those mitigations include investments such as a mix of infrastructure improvements, workforce development, and a community development fund. The Community Investments Program is currently being developed from the FRA’s guidelines and further information will be provided upon completion. Click here to learn more about the Community Investment Program
Funding will come from: Amtrak, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) (including a portion from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act) and the State of Maryland. To learn more about our funding partners check out our ‘Meet the Team‘ page.
The savings is more than $1 billion.
The Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program will be constructed in several stages. The first set of early construction activities began in March 2023 with track work in the Halethorpe and West Baltimore areas. This initial project was completed in summer 2023 and will reduce impacts during later construction phases. Final design, property acquisition, and utility relocation have begun and are progressing. Major construction is anticipated to begin in 2024 and tunnel boring is planned to start in 2026.
Amtrak currently anticipates that the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program will be completed in 2035. Construction is dependent on many factors, including design progression and the timely availability of funding, materials, and property.
Private property acquisitions have been identified for approximately 600 parcels. The majority of these (over 500) are subterranean, where Amtrak is providing compensation and obtaining rights to tunnel underneath a parcel. To learn more, see the ‘Subsurface Acquisition Brochure.’
Each impacted property owner will be contacted directly by a property acquisition professional. If a property owner has questions about a potential acquisition, they may send an email to [email protected].
No, construction is not expected to impact private property. Amtrak will take precautions, such as setting vibration limits and performing active monitoring, to avoid damaging homes and businesses. While construction does include methods such as tunnel boring, drilling and blasting, Amtrak will use state of-the-art techniques (e.g., controlled blasting, testing, and real-time monitoring) and vibration limits to ensure protection of nearby properties.
Amtrak is committed to doing the right thing, and this includes performing monitoring during construction to help ensure that construction does not unexpectedly cause excessive vibration or damage to properties. Prior to tunneling, Amtrak will offer property owners adjacent to the new tunnel an opportunity to have their property inspected to document the physical condition. If there is future concern that the tunnel construction damaged a property, Amtrak and the property owner will be able to examine the inspection (report and pictures) to help assess whether construction activities unexpectedly caused damage to a property. Amtrak intends to ensure that compensation is provided for any property damaged by the tunnel construction.
The Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program (Program) will provide many benefits to Baltimore residents by creating a large number of construction jobs and other rail and construction related workforce development opportunities. Amtrak is advancing a partnership with the Baltimore Mayor’s Office of Employment Development (MOED) and the Baltimore Workforce Funders Collaborative (part of the Maryland Philanthropy Network (MPN)) to maximize workforce recruitment and training from the impacted communities and to provide support services, such as transportation and child care, to assist individuals with personal needs in order to work.
A project labor agreement (PLA) has been signed between Amtrak and the Baltimore-DC Building and Construction Trades Council, which is a local affiliate of North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU). This covers the first phase of the Program, ensuring it creates good-paying union jobs. Agreements like this outline requirements for wages, benefits, working conditions, avoiding work disruption, and promoting diversity and veteran hiring in the construction trades. With this PLA, Amtrak and NABTU will prevent labor-related delays in the planning and contracting of major Amtrak projects; contractors and subcontractors share Amtrak’s commitment to paying fair wages and benefits; and Amtrak and NABTU can move forward with Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (IIJA)-funded projects with efficient labor-management relations.
Amtrak and the Baltimore-DC Building Trades Council have amended their project labor agreement, committing construction contractors to a local hiring preference on the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program. At least 50% of all apprentice hours and at least 20% of all journey hours for the Program will go to workers from the City of Baltimore. The Baltimore-DC Building Trades will recruit from specific ZIP codes, including those around the Program area and from disadvantaged communities in the City of Baltimore, for jobs on the Program. This is Amtrak’s first project to implement local and economic hiring preferences, which are newly allowed under the IIJA. This is to ensure that the local communities reap the benefits of these important federal investments.
For career opportunities at Amtrak, visit careers.amtrak.com. To learn more about opportunities on the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program, see the Contact page on the Program website with information on our construction contractors. More information about the Workforce Hub will be shared by the White House, MOED, MPN and Amtrak once the Workforce Hub initiative has started.
Please visit the Reports & Documents page to view fact sheets, technical documents and past responses to community questions:
You can also email the Program team at [email protected].
For additional information about the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program, email [email protected] or call (443) 423-1115 to speak to a member of the program team.
