Fredrick Douglass Tunnel (Replacement of the Baltimore and Potomac B&P Tunnel)

First updated article out of the gate: https://www.wbaltv.com/article/presiden ... l/42624926

President Joe Biden spoke Monday afternoon in Baltimore to address replacing the aging Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel.

The president visited Baltimore to discuss how Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding will replace the 150-year-old, 1.4-mile-long B&P Tunnel to address the largest bottleneck for commuters on the Northeast Corridor between Washington, D.C., and New Jersey.

"This is just the beginning of having a 21st century rail system that's been so long overdue in this country," Biden said.

The president said the project is expected to generate 30,000 jobs on a crucial part of the Northeast's infrastructure. The president also announced kickoff agreements to ensure good-paying union jobs remain on the project.

The total cost of the program, which includes related bridges and equipment modernization, is expected to reach $6 billion with infrastructure law funding contributing up to $4.7 billion.

At about 14:25 on the video when Mayor Pete is speaking, there is a good view of the ACS-64 liveried in (what is it?) Phase 6.

However, I cannot locate the Acela 2.

The Acela 2 was stage right from the podium.

That "ACS-64" engine is AMTK 317, an ALC-42. The ACS-64 has center headlights above the windshield, not below as on the ALC-42s.

Thanks, Mr. Randall W.

Ok; good to know that Amtrak isn't wasting $$$ reliverying motive power that is still comparatively new.

RandallW wrote: ↑Mon Jan 30, 2023 8:41 pm That "ACS-64" engine is AMTK 317, an ALC-42. The ACS-64 has center headlights above the windshield, not below as on the ALC-42s.

Has to be an ALC-42. The track it's on is not electrified.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Mon Jan 30, 2023 10:48 am Finally, I've looked through the IIJA21 to find where this Act actually APPROPRIATES funds as distinct from "AUTHORIZES to Appropriate". Any help, anyone?

OKAY!!! I will concede.

With private help from another member here, IIJA21 DOES APPROPRIATE funds, and one such appropriation is for National Network equipment.

When I was with the MILW circa '73 after the Superliner order was placed, the CUS office building washroom walls heard "we're going to be stuck with these trains for the next thirty years".

Those floors in CUS have all been gutted, as they were intended to be part of a hotel development project that appears to be on "indefinite hold". But what would those washroom walls hear today; "forever?"

Now that COVID has been declared to "be over on May 11", that project could resume.

Is this tunnel also called "Union Tunnel" or "Bond St Tunnel"?

No. Union Tunnel is east of Baltimore Penn Station (BAL). Bond Street is just where the eastern-most portal to the Union Tunnel is at. B&P is west of BAL and is a series of three tunnels between BAL and West Baltimore MARC.

http://www.trainweb.org/oldmainline/bnp1.htm

Goes into detail with the three tunnel.

I've never have seen so many highway overpasses & expressways in such a small area as Baltimore.

I was looking at this old study:
https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot ... Report.pdf

And trying to figure out the 4.7-6 billion price here. The tunnel isn't that long, and the study above as I read one of the tables suggested just about 1 billion (true 2011 dollars) for the alternative.

Is more than just the tunnel being funded in the allocation?

I think the tunnel is only about 1 mile, what am I missing? Does anyone know a budget table for how this money is being divided up? I am all for improving the NEC but I don't get this level of cost.

The 2017 Record of Decision shows in 2015 dollars: $4.5 billion broken up as:

• $1.9B new tunnels
• $76M new ROW acquisition
• $480M engineering costs
• $820M in "design/development risk"
• $1.1B in estimated "escalation & risk"

with engineering work on existing tunnels during the project as "TBD".

Double that if you went with four tunnels instead of two... which would of been worth the price anyway because that would of sped Amtrak Acela service up a bit (although it would require another interlock or maybe coordinating work to extend 4-track service to GROVE).

Iirc, two tunnels were dedicated freight tunnels.
I don't think there will be enough traffic to merit two tunes,
If there isn't through NS trains, couldn't csx service customers from a rebuilt Camden connection?