Maryland asking for $360M for rail work

August 24, 2009

Washington Business Journal
Sarah Krouse Staff Reporter

The Maryland Department of Transportation has applied for $360 million in high-speed rail stimulus funds to improve Amtrak and MARC Commuter rail, Gov. Martin O'Malley announced Monday.

Maryland applied for a portion of the $8 billion available for high-speed rail projects nationwide. Virginia also announced Monday that it had applied for about $75 million of the competitive high-speed rail funds.

The projects outlined in Maryland's application are intended to better link Washington to Baltimore.

"One of my top priorities is creating a more balanced transportation network by investing in all forms of public transportation, from MARC and Amtrak service to the Red and the Purple lines," O'Malley said.

Projects in the application include:

* Replacing the Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel that dates back to the 1870s and is used by Amtrak, MARC and Norfolk Southern. (Cost: $60 million)
* Redeveloping the BWI/Marshall Rail Station, platform and tracks. (Cost: $10 million)
* Replacing the Bush, Susquehanna and Gunpowder bridges through the Northern Maryland Capacity and Trip Time Improvement Program to accommodate high-speed rail. (Cost: $200 million)
* Building a six-track yard in the Washington Terminal of the Wedge Yard at Union Station to allow increased train storage. (Cost: $36 million)
* Constructing a third track from Perryville to Elkton to increase Amtrak and freight capacity and creating a grade separation to allow freights into the Port of Baltimore around the clock. (Cost: $25 million)
* Creating a GPS-based train locating system for MARC that will also work with similar planned systems for Amtrak and CSX. (Cost: $10 million)
* Updating Brunswick Line signalling between Silver Spring and Brunswick to increase capacity and improve reliability on the CSXT Metropolitan Subdivision, MARC and freight trains. (Cost: $18.3 million)