en.Wedoany.com Reported - CSX, the State of Maryland, and multiple dignitaries jointly held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Howard Street Tunnel modernization project in Baltimore. The $495 million project is now operational, providing double-stack container rail service for the Port of Baltimore and the I-95 East Coast corridor.

Maryland Governor Wes Moore attended the ceremony alongside state and local elected officials, as well as rail and labor leaders. The project aims to eliminate the double-stack container transport bottleneck at the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore. Moore stated that this public-private partnership will open new shipping channels for the Northeast region, enhance port capacity, create thousands of jobs, and generate approximately $1 billion in annual economic benefits for Maryland residents, while also reducing emissions.

The 131-year-old tunnel was opened in 1895 by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. In September, CSX ran a commemorative train through the tunnel, and regular service began several weeks ago.

The project increased tunnel clearance by 18 inches and implemented similar modifications at 21 locations across Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania, enabling double-stack container trains to access the Port of Baltimore. Upon completion, seamless double-stack container transport is possible from Massachusetts to Florida and Midwest markets. Previously, trains had to detour north and west of Philadelphia via CSX/B&O and River Line routes to Selkirk, New York, or divert to Hagerstown, Maryland, for Norfolk Southern transport.

Maryland officials noted that collaboration among the state, the Federal Railroad Administration, and CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) kept actual project costs below the estimated $566 million. This includes a $217 million state investment and $125 million in federal funding. Also attending the ceremony were CSX CEO Steve Angel, Federal Railroad Administrator David Fink, and Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks.

Angel stated that achieving double-stack clearance eliminates a long-standing bottleneck in Baltimore, creating a more direct and efficient connection between the port and inland markets. This allows more cargo to be transported on existing trains, providing greater accessibility and capacity for East Coast customers. The port is expected to increase annual container throughput by approximately 160,000 TEUs and create about 13,000 new jobs in construction, operations, warehousing, and logistics.

The Seagirt Marine Terminal in Baltimore, operated by Ports America, handled a record 1,113,309 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2025, with weekly container ship calls increasing from 12 in 2024 to 15. Mediterranean Shipping Co. plans to launch a new Asia and Mediterranean container service on July 1.

Jonathan Daniels, Executive Director of the Maryland Port Administration, called this one of the most significant achievements in the history of the Port of Baltimore. By lowering the track by 18 inches to expand tunnel clearance for double-stack containers, the port will attract more business and jobs while delivering valuable environmental benefits. With double-stack capability, the Port of Baltimore is now the fastest and most efficient way to move container cargo to the Midwest. Mark Schmidt, President of Ports America Chesapeake, described the modernization as a game-changer for container operations at Ports America Chesapeake and the Port of Baltimore, emphasizing the company's deep commitment to continuing to make Seagirt one of the top-performing container ports in the nation.

The project is expected to reduce truck fuel consumption by approximately 137 million gallons and truck miles by 1.2 billion over 30 years. In 2025, the Port of Baltimore handled 50 million tons of foreign trade cargo, its second-best year on record. The port is the second-busiest gateway in the U.S. for automobiles, imported gypsum, imported salt, imported sugar, and exported coal.

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