According to WaPo from a few days ago, there will initially be 2 single track tunnels built, with the other two tunnels coming if and when there is funding available.
From the way the article reads, the first two tunnels will be for passenger use, with the freights continuing to use the old tunnels.
I can recall when alternatives were still being discussed, the State of Maryland pushed for freight tunnels that could accommodate double stacks, in hopes of making the Port of Baltimore more competitive. Apparently not a priority right now.
Quote:
washingtonpost.com
A 148-year-old tunnel is the biggest rail bottleneck between D.C. and New Jersey. Here’s the new plan to replace it.
Luz Lazo
The proposal is a scaled-down version of a plan approved four years ago by the Federal Railroad Administration that called for four single-track tunnel tubes. Railroad officials say by building only two tunnels, the project will save $1 billion and up to two years on construction while still tripling train capacity to accommodate future demand. The additional two tunnels could be built in a second phase as funding becomes available, Amtrak said.
The proposal is dependent upon Amtrak securing federal and state funding. Amtrak has budgeted $65 million for design and preconstruction work in the next year, including negotiations to acquire more than three dozen properties, including 22 residential buildings, 13 businesses and four churches that would be demolished.
The passenger railroad also is seeking $257 million for the tunnel project this year from Congress.
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Amtrak on Friday also announced it will name the new tunnel after Maryland native and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who was enslaved in Baltimore, where he learned to read and write before fleeing on a train to escape slavery. The old tunnel, which freight trains will continue to use, will keep its name.
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Under the Amtrak plan, it would take between 10 to 12 years to complete the tunnel if federal funds are made available. Amtrak’s timeline includes utility relocation and demolition next year, with excavation and more heavy construction in 2023.
Officials said construction is complicated by delicate crossover work with the operational railroad, as well as softening curves to allow for higher speeds. About 30,000 jobs would be created during construction.
The new route would stretch the two single-track tunnel tubes nearly four miles between Baltimore’s Penn Station and Gwynns Falls Bridge. The West Baltimore MARC station would be relocated. The project includes a high-capacity signal system that would allow trains to be spaced closer together and interlocking changes that would facilitate faster speeds out of Penn Station.
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The tunnel would only carry trains on electric power. Maryland officials said the state agreed to electrify all MARC trains by the time the tunnel would open in as early as 2032. MARC trains now run on diesel.
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Baltimore officials said they are working with Amtrak to address residents’ concerns, but added that the city is onboard with the new plan, which they say will bring economic and transportation benefits. Amtrak has committed $50 million to invest in West Baltimore for parks and in creating economic and job-training opportunities.
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