B&P Tunnels (Baltimore, Maryland)

 Amtrak, railway tunnel

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The curving two-track, multi-segment B&P tunnels, 6969 feet long, allow access to the Jones Falls Valley from the west. The Baltimore and Potomac Railroad began full scale tunnel construction in 1870 and the tunnels opened for service on June 29, 1873.

The B&P Tunnels and the Union Tunnels just east of here were the first urban railroad tunnels in America. The B&P and Union tunnels provided the first direct rail service between Washington to New York, a breakthrough for the Pennsylvania Railroad in its competition with the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad. Prior to 1873, railway passengers were transported on horse-drawn railway cars through the streets of downtown Baltimore and freight cars were ferried across Baltimore Harbor.

The tunnels were controlled by the Pennsylvania Railroad prior to their current Amtrak ownership. The B&P tunnels are a major bottleneck on the Northeast Corridor and, some say, are at risk of collapse (the tunnels already having suffered one roof collapse back in the day). The speed limit for passenger trains is 30 MPH and only 20 MPH for freight trains.

The tunnels consist of a two-track brick arch design built in three separate sections. In the late 1970s, the invert (floor) was lowered and stabilized after structural problems nearly shut down the bore. Despite this work, the B&P Tunnel
does not have clearance for cars greater than 15 feet 9 inches. The tunnel has eight-degree curves, heavy grades and a constant water problem.

The repairs made during the 1970s were intended only as an interim design (30 to 50 years) and ultimately, this tunnel will need to be replaced. The present clearance through the entire route is restricted by the smaller B&P clearance, and the clearances through the B&P and Union tunnels precludes freight railroads from running excess dimension car designs, including double-stack cars (maximum 20 feet 2 ins.) through the tunnels. Plans to replace the B&P and Union tunnels have been floated, but the estimated one billion dollar cost makes replacement unlikely.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_&_Potomac_Railroad