CSX Virginia Ave Tunnel in DC?

The nearby freeways are sunken and mostly out of view for the neighbors.  CSX is about five years too late in some regards.  The area has undergone massive gentrification.  What were ancient row homes, some still burned shells from the 1960's race riots, are now high end condos with a young upwardly moving, environmentally enlightened, NIMBY crowd with many connections to K street law and lobbying firms.  I also believe the original plan called to daylight the tunnel during the construction, with expected impacts on the roads/parking areas/sidewalks above.  So during the work, the neighborhoods would have had the ditch, the noise of the trains and construction as well as disruption to the road network.   What they have worked out is common sense.  Perhaps not the cheapest and fastest approach for CSX, but it will result in the right final end game.

Bob

But all of their concerns mainly revolve aound construction...which is a temporary.   Plus if they are so environmentally conscious...they should be for trains.  Highways are not it.  I read some arguments about CSX not serving DC so it should bypass.  However most common household goods travelled in a double stack at some point. 

I do like the alternative to route CSX to the right of Fredricksburg.

I am looking at the railroad as I type this message, it has been here since the 1850's CSX now takes the long way around DC, rarely I see them take the rails that Amtrax,VRE take to Union Station.

I also notice all the container trains that passs through DC are single stack ot spine cars.

I always assumed it was because the tunnels and overpasses around DC are low overhead so it would benifit CSX to make the track lower to handle the double stacks and save some bucks.

As far as the yuppie puppies around here they just want to raise H-ll for the H-ll of it.

I think it is a requirement to live here. Sad but very true. it is trickledown from the top management. If you ever went to one of the gin mills on 7th street you know what I mean. As Sheldon would say, Blaw blaw blaw blaw blaw! They did send frieght through the Union station track but there was a fire under there a while ago and the stuff hit the fan as they say.

Having lived through three major construction projects Mike I would not be so quick to dismiss the effects of such a project because it is "temporary". 

While CSX may not like it, they brought much of this on themselves.  There has been an element in southeast DC for years that has been troubled by the presence of the freight line.  However most while preferring that the line not be there, were willing to tolerate it.  CSX stirred the hornets nest by altering the status quo.  They did so after freight railroading's presence in the area was downgraded in the past couple of decades, plus CSX's recent problems in Baltimore make people more worried.  In the end though there is no good alternative for CSX except to route the traffic through DC.

You assume too much.  The NIMBYs are focused on the construction because it lasts months/years and disrupts their lives and perhaps the value of their property during the work.

Two years ago, not a single one of those locals would have associated trains/CSX with the color green.  Today, a majority likely do. This current solution is a HUGE victory for CSX, given the locals were 110% against doing anything 1-2 years ago, except shutting down the tunnel completely.

At least in DC, you can't listen to any radio for more than 20 minutes without hearing a "CSX is clean and wonderful" ad.  The few millions or so spent on these ads might have just saved them tens or even hundreds of millions in attempting to reroute the traffic around DC (an even tougher issue than the tunnel).

Remember this when foamers wonder why CSX hasn't restored 'ol smoky and sent it around in a system tour.  Running a few steam trips around DC would have not in the least convinced these NIMBYs to deal with the noise and mess of the construction for the good of the environment.  A couple of million in TV and radio averts did, however.

And yes, this tunnel work is all towards double stacking.  CSX is well underway in upgrading other areas around DC to handle double stacks.  Recent work on the cut over by Bladensburg, for example, show how they are working to turn the line through DC into a high volume double stack line.   But I haven't heard much about tunnel work in Baltimore.  That's the other major bottleneck.

Bob

The quiet in all of this is the security aspects.  What other risks are posed by double stack trains? 

The tunnel runs under or within 100 feet of: 

• 2 House of Representative office buildings;
• 2 Senate office buidlings;
• Supreme Court;
• Library of Congress;
• East lawn of Capital (more than 100 feet from the building, though);
• SEC headquarters (Securities and Exchange Commission) .
• Union Station (Amtrak and local commuter train depot)

N0.  Wrong Tunnel.  There are two tunnels in Washington DC.  The 1st street tunnel connects Union Station with the lines south.  It was opened about 1907 as part of the Union Station Project.  I does run near the buildings mentioned above but it is and has always been for passenger trains only.

The freight line uses the Virginia Ave Tunnel which runs much farther south of Capitol Hill complex.  At the closest point it is about 1000 ft. south of the nearest House office building and over 1400 ft. from the Capitol.  It was built in the mid 1870's as part of the PRR entry into Washington when they had their own Passenger station at 6th and B street (roughly where the National Gallery of Art now stands).  It is called the Virginia Ave Tunnel because it follows that avenue in South East DC.  Originally double tracked, the tracks were doubled over into a gauntlet about the time the tunnel was electrified in the 1930's.  It is now single tracked to get the track in the center for the most height.  Today a modern excess height boxcar just barely clears the tunnel.

When built, the Virginia Ave Tunnel was for all PRR trains, freight and passenger. When Union Station opened it became and remains freight only.  

The tunnel is so hidden that the NIMBY's didn't know it was there until the discussion started about rebuilding.  I happen to work in offices at each end of the tunnel.

ray 

Yes, wrong tunnel.  The security aspect of going through DC comes up from time to time.  Some years ago, a combined group of agencies did a study about rerouting the freights around DC because of this "issue."  I put that in quotes because reading their report made it sound like a terrorist could hijack a train and drive it anywhere they wanted.  I always laugh at this.  Let alone the concept that someone could put a device in a container/car and be able to track it, or assume the route the railroad would put it on, let alone time it for the most effect.

These agencies came up with a funny idea of coming off the B&O Met somewhere north of town, building across Federal land that is mostly wetland/wildlife research area, bridge over or tunnel under the NEC, wipe most of old RR town of Huntington, then an upgraded Pope Creek branch south, then bridge over the Potomac south of town.   Of course all the residents along the way asked why they were less important than the folks in DC!

Bob

How many trains use the VAT daily?  From what I can tell this area is busier than ever.  I was sitting in Reagan airport in 2009 for 2 hours and had a clear shot of the RF&P.  It was train after train constantly.   SO much so CSX is even double tracking the Alexandria Connection.  I guess the next project will be to build a modern bridge at Anacostia.

Its also funny how anytime a railroad wants to build a yard or add a siding...the nimbys scream out that the railroad will leak dangerous stuff and leave a wasteland.  Yet in reality you can google any busy rail line and yard and see gardens and plus vegetation growing right up next to the ROW.  Heck even a railroad is all natural except the steel...rock and wood.  Boggles my mind why these people never argue against highways that do cause the surrounding area to deteriorate.

Anyone watch HGTV?  Anyone see the people who want brand new turnkey homes and their first complaint about them is the construction building the brand new homes they want?  ????? WTF ?????

It's DC. I'd feel comfortable saying the railroad failed to grease all the right palms. Enough cash in the right places, and you can get anything done in DC !

When it comes to buying property, these things might happen:

1.  Rivers flood.......

2.  Forest burn.........

3.  Atlantic/Gulf of Mexico get tropical storms......

4.  Freeways/tool roads have haz-mat accidents......

5.  Planes land at aiports....

6.  Railroads will have trains and/or increased traffic.....

Buyer Beware!