Amtrak has completed infrastructure upgrades in the First Street Tunnel south of Washington Union Station, restoring train operations following a nine-day construction period.

The project, known as "Pause for Progress," required temporary service changes for trains traveling south of Washington, D.C., from October 16-26. The work focused on replacing aging infrastructure at A-Interlocking, a critical track and control point for Amtrak and Virginia Railway Express (VRE) trains operating between Washington and Virginia.

“This concentrated construction period allowed our teams to make significant improvements to critical infrastructure while limiting the amount of time it was out of service,” said Amtrak Executive Vice President, Strategy and Planning Jennifer Mitchell. “We’re grateful to Virginia Railway Express (VRE), Virginia Passenger Rail Authority (VPRA), and North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) for working closely with us to coordinate service during the outage, and to our customers for their patience and flexibility as we completed this important work to improve reliability for years to come.”

Infrastructure Improvements Completed

The construction project involved replacing switches and crossovers, rehabilitating the tunnel's track base, and installing electric switch systems.

During the nine-day construction period, crews completed the following improvements:

• Installed eight electric switch machines, two double-slip switches, and one crossing diamond.
• Rehabilitated 350 feet of track and tunnel base.
• Installed 550 tons of ballast.
• Replaced 1,000 feet of rail and 215 ties.
• Installed 2,500 feet of signal and electrical cable.

According to Amtrak, crews logged approximately 13,300 work hours during the project. The improvements are intended to strengthen infrastructure reliability along a rail corridor serving intercity passenger and commuter operations.

Coordinating Service During Construction

Amtrak coordinated with VRE, VPRA, and NCDOT to accommodate service changes during construction. CSX, Norfolk Southern, and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) also supported operational adjustments.

“Amtrak and the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority worked with us to develop innovative solutions that kept passengers moving while these critical improvements were completed,” said Jason Orthner, NCDOT Rail Division director. “Those partnerships help us maintain service today while building a safer, more reliable rail network for the future.”

VRE CEO Katie Choe also emphasized the importance of coordination among the agencies involved.

“The completion of this work is an important milestone for everyone who relies on the rail network between Virginia and Washington, D.C. We appreciate the close collaboration between Amtrak, VPRA, and VRE to complete these critical upgrades,” Choe said.

Passenger Rail Service Resumes

With construction complete, Amtrak Virginia service has resumed ahead of the holiday travel season.

Amtrak Virginia operates six daily round trips connecting Washington, D.C., with Richmond, Roanoke, Norfolk, Newport News, and intermediate destinations, serving 17 stations across Virginia.

VPRA is also extending portions of the Amtrak Connection Express Bus service introduced during construction, providing additional transportation options for passengers.

The completed improvements support passenger rail operations between Washington and Virginia, where Amtrak and commuter rail services share critical infrastructure.

For additional project information, visit Amtrak's Pause for Progress page.