Democracy Dies in Darkness
Transportation

150-year-old Baltimore tunnel will get $4 billion federal boost

President Biden’s visit to Baltimore came as the administration is beginning to distribute billions of federal dollars to upgrade aging infrastructure

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Updated January 30, 2023 at 6:36 p.m. EST|Published January 30, 2023 at 8:25 a.m. EST
President Biden speaks about infrastructure at the Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel on Monday in Baltimore. (Andrew Harnik/AP)
7 min

President Biden on Monday announced that more than $4 billion in federal infrastructure money will help to replace the Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel, a crucial piece of the Northeast rail network that is a source of delays 150 years after it was built.

The Reconstruction-era tunnel — the oldest in the Northeast — is Amtrak’s biggest chokepoint between Washington and New Jersey. Trains crawl at 30 mph through its curves under West Baltimore, creating delays up and down the busy Northeast Corridor. When a new tunnel is complete, trains will reach speeds of 100 mph.