Work continues to upgrade the infrastructure to increase track capacity, improve the ride quality and offer greater reliability that will benefit Acela and other Amtrak customers as well as commuter passengers along the Northeast Corridor (NEC) from Washington, D.C., to Boston.

Crews are upgrading 31 miles of track between Washington Union and Baltimore Penn stations, which will enable Amtrak to operate at higher speeds. The enhancements will benefit the full length of the Northeast Corridor and include realigning track and curves and undercutting and installing new rail.

Approximately 2,200 Amtrak, commuter and freight trains operate on the Washington-Boston route each day. In Fiscal Year 2018, 18.3 million trips were made by Amtrak customers on the NEC.

“The NEC is North America’s a premier passenger rail corridor and improving the infrastructure is essential to maximizing performance for all train services,” President and CEO Richard Anderson said. “The improvements will offer Amtrak and commuter customers a smoother and more reliable ride.”

As the popularity of rail travel soars, Amtrak and its partners are challenged to ensure the NEC can meet the demand for new capacity on this critical infrastructure asset, portions of which date back a century, and continue to deliver the safe, reliable and convenient service passengers expect from America’s Railroad®.

The infrastructure work is underway in preparation for the introduction of the new, next-generation Acela Express fleet, scheduled to begin entering service in 2021.

Additionally, this project also complements other ongoing Amtrak improvements at New York Penn Station; the opening of the new Moynihan Train Hall in New York; and further development of stations in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia.

(Source: Amtrak)