CSX double-stack service to and from the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore launched Oct. 28 as part of the $500 million Howard Street Tunnel Project.
The project is improving clearance at the 1.7-mile, 129-year-old Howard Street Tunnel in Baltimore City, Md., and at 21 other locations in Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania where obstructions exist along the CSX I-95 rail corridor between Baltimore and Philadelphia (watch video below). Vertical clearances of up to 18 inches less than the 21 feet necessary for double-stack service have restricted the ability to move double-stack trains along this section of CSX’s network, including to and from the Port of Baltimore.
The Federal Railroad Administration is the lead federal agency and CSX is the sponsor of the project, which is funded by U.S. Department of Transportation, CSX, the State of Maryland, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
While construction is ongoing at several Maryland sites, vertical clearance improvements at rail bridges north of Baltimore are now complete, according to Maryland Governor Wes Moore’s office. This allows CSX to operate double-stack trains on a temporary route from the Port along the CSX network in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York and onto the Midwest until the work is complete in 2026.
In addition to improved transport cost efficiency and environmental benefits, double-stacking will help the Port grow its business by about 160,000 containers annually and create 13,000 new jobs in construction and in operations, according to the Governor’s office. Double-stacking will also complement the expansion of the Seagirt Marine Terminal, operated by Ports America Chesapeake, as home to supersized Neo-Panamax cranes that handle ultra-large container ships.
“This is a significant milestone for intermodal rail service between Baltimore and Midwest markets and wouldn’t be possible without the ongoing collaboration between our federal, state, and local project partners,” CSX President and CEO Joe Hinrichs said. “This underscores our broader commitment to enhancing service efficiency and safely expanding our network capabilities through the Howard Street Tunnel project, allowing for greater efficiency in this critical corridor.”
“This is a great day for the Port of Baltimore and a great day for Maryland,” noted Gov. Moore on Oct. 28. “As the Port of Baltimore continues to grow, this transformational project will help increase business activity and create thousands of new jobs. In partnership, we are creating new pathways to work, wages, and wealth for all.”
