Amtrak Finishes the First Street Tunnel Work South of Union Station

Published: November 1, 2026

WASHINGTON — Amtrak on October 26 finished nine days of work in the First Street Tunnel, just south of Washington Union Station, and put trains back on their regular pattern. The job was at A Interlocking, the plant that lines Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express trains out of the station toward Virginia and the Northeast Corridor. Service south of the station had been rewritten from October 16 through that Monday morning.

Amtrak's First Street Tunnel trackwork completed

An Amtrak photo featuring the recently completed track work within the First Street Tunnel.

What the crews replaced

Amtrak said the outage was used to replace switches and crossovers, rebuild the tunnel track base, and install electric switch machines. The count from the railroad: eight electric switch machines, two double-slip switches, and one crossing diamond; 350 feet of track and tunnel base rebuilt; 550 tons of ballast; 1,000 feet of rail and 215 ties; and 2,500 feet of signal and electrical cable.

When Amtrak scheduled the work, it said the switches and crossovers were past their service life and that trains had been held to 10 miles an hour through the plant. Jennifer Mitchell, executive vice president of strategy and planning, said the concentrated period let the crews make significant improvements while limiting the time the plant was out of service. She thanked Virginia Railway Express, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, and the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and she thanked riders for their patience. Amtrak also credited CSX, Norfolk Southern, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority for help with the operating changes.

What riders saw

Trains reported that the Palmetto, the Floridian, the Crescent, the Silver Meteor, the Cardinal, and most Northeast Regional service to Virginia were canceled south of the District of Columbia. A bus bridge kept the Carolinian and one Northeast Regional round trip moving. Virginia also ran buses from Union Station to rail destinations around the state. Virginia Railway Express trains that normally use Union Station originated and terminated at L’Enfant from October 19 through October 23, then returned to the station with the rest of the service.

Sources

Amtrak, October 26, 2026, “Pause for Progress” completion release. Nine-day project in the First Street Tunnel, finished on time. Service changes for trains south of Washington from October 16 through October 26. A Interlocking. Eight electric switch machines, two double-slip switches, one crossing diamond, 350 feet of track and tunnel base, 550 tons of ballast, 1,000 feet of rail, 215 ties, and 2,500 feet of signal and electrical cable. Jennifer Mitchell. Coordination with Virginia Railway Express, the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, CSX, Norfolk Southern, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority.
Trains, October 26, 2026, updated October 27. Normal operations resumed October 26. Virginia Railway Express had originated and terminated at L’Enfant from October 19 through October 23. The Palmetto, Floridian, Crescent, Silver Meteor, Cardinal, and most Northeast Regional service to Virginia were canceled south of the District. The October 27 update added the Cardinal to that list. A bus bridge kept the Carolinian and one Northeast Regional round trip. Virginia offered buses from Union Station.
Amtrak, August 24, 2026, announcement of the same project. Switches and crossovers were beyond their service life and required a 10-mile-an-hour restriction. The outage was set to begin after the close of service on Friday, October 16, and to end before service on Monday morning, October 26.

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Amtrak Finishes the First Street Tunnel Work South of Union Station

What the crews replaced

What riders saw

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Sources