One D.C. tunnel, 9 days of disruptions for East Coast rail passengers

Tracks in a D.C. railway tunnel south of Union Station will close for an upgrade Oct. 16-26, sparking a domino effect of cancellations, closures, delays, and detours for passengers traveling via Amtrak or Virginia Railway Express along the East Coast. 

The converging tracks in the First Street Tunnel are more than just a route for locals; they’re a crucial gateway for residents from the Southeast through the Northeast corridor. 

One regular Amtrak commuter, Hal Schild, said this shutdown was a “double-edged sword.”  

Schild, who commutes from his residence in northeast Virginia to New York, said he is hopeful for the upgrades coming to this commute, but traveling during this closure presents challenges. Schild said he would rather take an Uber than navigate the schedule disruptions.

This shutdown comes as demand for Amtrak services is growing.  

Amtrak reported 34.5 million customers in 2025, a little over a 5% increase from the previous year, while Union Station saw more than 6 million passengers board or disembark, making it the nation’s second busiest station. 

Karina Romero, communications manager at the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, said the old infrastructure has outlived its usefulness and that it keeps failing, which causes safety issues. Romero pointed to at least one “minor derailment” in this area, just outside of Union Station, in recent years. 

In that incident, The Washington Post reported two cars on an Amtrak train derailed just outside of the First Street Tunnel in July 2023. No passengers were injured, but one Amtrak employee was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.  

Romero said the aging infrastructure is causing delays, requiring trains to slow down from 30 mph to 10 mph. 

The complete track shutdown is necessary due to a “confined tunnel environment and limited access, making phased construction impractical,” according to Amtrak’s announcement. 

Crews will replace outdated switches and crossovers, rehabilitate the track tunnel base, and modernize electrical switch systems, Amtrak said. 

Virginians may face the greatest impact of this closure. Just over 40% of Virginia Amtrak passengers use the tunnel to connect to the Northeast Corridor, said Romero. 

In addition, the closing will complicate trips for passengers traveling to or from Chicago and even Florida.   

Passengers taking the Cardinal train from Chicago use this gateway in D.C. to reach New York, and during these closures, they can expect to take it only as far as Indianapolis, Amtrak said.  

Amtrak also said the closure will impact the following trains: Northeast Regional, Carolinian, Cardinal, Floridian, Silver Meteor, Palmetto, and the Crescent. 

Amtrak is providing various bus alternatives, a major one being a bus to bridge the disconnected train route from Alexandria to Union Station. 

Carolinian and Amtrak Virginia lines will operate with a bus connection between Union Station and the station in Alexandria. 

If using this “bus bridge” between Union Station and Alexandria, passengers are expected to exit their train with luggage in tow and board a bus to Union Station, where they will board an alternative train, according to Romero. 

Romero said predicting how much additional travel time passengers can expect is difficult because the biggest variable will be D.C. traffic when taking the bus. 

Amtrak passengers acknowledge the need for the construction but took to Reddit to complain about the process, saying Amtrak has handled it poorly. 

Many passengers with prior bookings were notified of cancellations. 

Despite the bus bridge solution, passengers said their prior bookings were canceled, leaving them with no alternative to use this service. 

One passenger said they were not offered an alternative when their Amtrak tickets from North Carolina to Pennsylvania, previously booked for dates during this closure, were canceled.  

“I didn’t see anything about the bus,” Reddit user @chairbert in an Amtrak forum.   

That sentiment was echoed by Reddit user @statesec. “I am going to cut my losses and just drive to and from DC. This has been rather poorly handled by Amtrak,” he said. 

Both passengers were notified of cancellations within 60 days of the expected closure, but some patrons said they were frustrated at the late notice.  

Amtrak’s press release was issued on Aug. 24, 54 days before the closure. 

According to Amtrak’s press release, the upgraded infrastructure will deliver improved safety and reliability, fewer delays, and greater capacity to meet future demand. 

Passengers traveling during the shutdown should check Amtrak service alerts for route-specific changes and cancellations.

According to Amtrak’s website, VRE service will not be completely suspended, and travelers should check VRE’s modified schedule for updates. 

Despite the disruptions, Schild is hopeful and wants more money invested into upgrades like this. “It’s great that they are doing maintenance,” he said.  

“The country doesn’t spend enough on this railroad infrastructure. It’s not prioritized enough because the money’s behind cars and airlines,” said Schild.