Baltimore gets double stack rail

Maryland Governor Wes Moore has announced the official launch of double-stack rail operations to and from the Port of Baltimore as part of the Howard Street Tunnel Project. The US$ 500m project includes reconstructing the 129-year-old tunnel in Baltimore and 21 other locations in Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania to increase vertical clearance by 18 inches to allow double-stacked container trains to and from the Port of Baltimore.

While construction is still ongoing at several Maryland sites, vertical clearance improvements at rail bridges north of Baltimore are complete, providing rail operator CSX Corporation with the opportunity to operate double-stack rail service 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. When fully complete, the double-stack project is expected to provide the East Coast with seamless double-stack capacity from Maine to Florida.

The project has been in the works for almost a decade. The state initially planned to build a new tunnel to replace the Howard Street, built in 1895, which would be a huge task costing an estimated US$ 2-3 billion. A new plan, however, saw the lowering of existing tracks in places, and the roof raised in others, to provide double stack clearance for a much lower estimated cost.

Double-stacking of containers is poised to help the port grow its business by about 160,000 containers annually and 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 great day for the Port of Baltimore and a great day for Maryland,” said Gov. Moore. “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.”

“Adding double stack capabilities to and from the Port of Baltimore allows us to take our container business to another level and puts us on a more level playing field with our competitors,” said Maryland Port Administration Executive Director Jonathan Daniels. “Working together with Ports America Chesapeake, CSX and our longshore labor team, we are very optimistic and excited about the growth of container handling in Baltimore.”

“The ability to provide double stack rail is a milestone achievement that will further compliment efforts by Ports America Chesapeake to increase capacity at the Port of Baltimore,” said Ports America Chesapeake President Mark Schmidt. “Ports America Chesapeake is making strategic investments including new equipment and infrastructure at the Seagirt Marine Terminal that, coupled with double stacking, will boost volumes and position the Port for future success.”

The launch of the double stack rail is being announced as the Port of Baltimore works to recover cargo volumes after the March suspension of vessel operations due to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. August figures show year-over-year increases of 31% for cars and 28% for breakbulk cargoes, with the port handling 90% of its previous ship volume. Additionally, Ports America Chesapeake is managing about 80% of its volume from last year.