Plans To Rebuild B&P Tunnel Generating Some Opposition

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Plans to rebuild an aging train tunnel in the heart of Baltimore's central business district are generating some opposition. The blueprints call for more trains and deeper tracks.

Gigi Barnett has more on why homeowners are concerned.

Baltimore's B&P tunnel -- a 143-year-old major choke point for passenger train traffic. It snakes through the city's West Baltimore neighborhood.

For decades, the aging tracks have been a point of concern for city leaders and residents, and in recent years, efforts to rebuild the B&P have picked up steam.

This weekend, city and state transportation leaders and Amtrak asked homeowners to weigh in on an environmental study.

"I just don't trust them to do a good job without affecting--drastically affecting--us," said Janet Blair.

That was the sentiment of many homeowners who looked at the plans up close this weekend.

Others are afraid of the hazardous chemicals packed away in freight cars traveling under their homes.

"We're worried about the emissions from the vents," said a resident. "I would like to see the freight trains moved--some other solution. Get them away from highly populated areas."

Homeowners have good reason to be concerned.

In 2001, there was a derailment of CSX cars carrying hazardous chemicals inside the Howard Street tunnel.

Then it happened again. In November 2013, another train derailment stalled service for passengers.

Transportation workers are promising a safe rebuild.

"The new proposed tunnel would be done by a boring machine--like a big drill bit--and it would bore underneath the earth. There's different safety measures in place now than we had 143 years ago," said MDOT Project Manager Jacqueline Thorne.

Homeowners say the designs have changed so often, they don't know what to believe.

Project managers say even if everything is approved, it could still take another decade before the rebuilding of the tunnel even begins.

Right now, about 85 Amtrak trains, almost 50 MARC trains and some freight cars travel through the one-mile tunnel every day.