美国总统乔·拜登周一前往马里兰州巴尔的摩，启动了一项耗资60亿美元的铁路隧道重建项目，该项目主要由他的两党基础设施法-他说这一改进将对像他一样的美国国家铁路客运公司通勤者产生重大影响。
新隧道将取代老化的巴尔的摩和波托马克隧道，并消除白宫所说的新泽西和华盛顿特区之间的最大瓶颈
“正如我所说，这条隧道已有将近150年的历史了。这是一个内战时代——尤利西斯·s·格兰特是总统。结构在恶化，屋顶在漏水，地板在下沉。这是美国，看在上帝的份上。我们知道得更清楚，”拜登站在美国国家铁路客运公司阿塞拉列车旁说。
在讲述他作为参议员每天往返于华盛顿和特拉华州之间时，他“已经穿过这条隧道一千次了，”他补充道，“当人们谈论巴尔的摩隧道如何迫切需要升级时，你不需要我告诉你。我去过，你也去过。”
拜登说，一旦完工，隧道容量预计将增加两倍，穿越隧道的列车时速将从目前的每小时30英里提高到110英里。
新隧道将以弗雷德里克·道格拉斯的名字命名，拜登说，他“就在这里登上了通往自由的列车”
拜登说:“他逃离了奴隶制，他乘火车周游全国，为废除奴隶制和民权而斗争。”"所以，我们用这种方式纪念他是合适的."
拜登周一对巴尔的摩的访问是他本周一系列强调基础设施法的访问的第一站。他将于周二前往纽约讨论哈德逊隧道项目，并于周五前往费城讨论拆除铅管事宜。
新的巴尔的摩隧道将沿着一条较柔和的曲线配备两个管道;通风和紧急出口设施;新型信号系统、架空接触网和轨道;隧道周围地区的五座新公路和铁路桥;和一个新的ADA可访问的西巴尔的摩马克站，根据白宫。
“弗雷德里克·道格拉斯隧道将全部是电动的，”拜登说。“这可能会改变环境的游戏规则。”
总统还宣布签署不同的项目协议。
“今天，我们宣布这个项目，我们将建立在我们的项目劳动协议，”拜登说。"这些协议是承包商和工会在施工开始前达成的协议."
巴尔的摩-波托马克隧道更换项目预计将产生30，000个工作岗位，包括大约20，000个直接建筑工作岗位。据白宫称，来自美国国家铁路客运公司的另外5000万美元的投资将用于当地劳动力发展和社区投资，包括学徒前和学徒计划，以确保西巴尔的摩的当地工人能够获得这些工作。
Biden touts $6 billion rail tunnel replacement, highlighting infrastructure law
President Joe Biden on Monday traveled to Baltimore, Maryland, to kick off a $6 billion rail tunnel reconstruction project primarily funded by his bipartisan infrastructure law -- an improvement he said would make a big difference to Amtrak commuters like himself.
The new tunnel will replace the aging Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel, and remove what the White House says is the largest bottleneck between New Jersey and Washington, D.C.
"This tunnel is nearly, as I said, 150-years-old. It's a Civil War era -- Ulysses S. Grant was president. The structure is deteriorating, the roof is leaking, the floor is sinking. This is the United States of America, for God's sake. We know better than that," Biden said, standing next to an Amtrak Acela train.
Recounting how, in his daily trips between Washington and Delaware as a senator, he'd "been through this tunnel a thousand times," he added, "when folks talk about how badly the Baltimore tunnel needs an upgrade, you don't need me to tell you. I've been there and you've been there, too."
Once completed, Biden said, tunnel capacity is expected to triple and trains traveling through it will be able to go up to 110 miles per hour instead of the current 30 miles per hour.
The new tunnel will be named after Frederick Douglass, who, Biden said, "boarded this train to freedom right here in Baltimore."
"He escaped slavery, he traveled the country by rail, fighting for abolition and civil rights," Biden said. "So, that's fitting we honor him in this way."
Biden's visit to Baltimore on Monday was the first in his a series of trips this week highlighting the infrastructure law. He will travel to New York City Tuesday to talk about the Hudson Tunnel Project and to Philadelphia on Friday to discuss removing lead pipes.
The new Baltimore tunnel will be equipped with two tubes along an alignment with softer curves; ventilation and emergency egress facilities; new signaling systems, overhead catenary and track; five new roadway and railroad bridges in the area surrounding the tunnel; and a new ADA-accessible West Baltimore MARC station, according to the White House.
"The Frederick Douglass Tunnel will be all electric," Biden said. "This can be game changing for the environment."
The president also announced the signing of different project agreements.
"Today we're announcing this project, we're gonna build on our project labor agreement," Biden said. "These agreements are agreements that contractors and unions put in place before the construction begins."
The Baltimore-Potomac Tunnel Replacement Program is expected to generate 30,000 jobs, including approximately 20,000 direct construction jobs. An additional $50 million investment from Amtrak will go towards local workforce development and community investments, including pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship programs to ensure that local workers in West Baltimore can access these jobs, according to the White House.
