AmeriStarRail Proposes New
Bi-Level Susquehanna River Bridge
Key Points:
Eliminates Amtrak Operating Conflicts with Commuter and Freight Trains
Creates Opportunity to Increase Amtrak Speeds up to 200 mph between Wilmington and Baltimore
Converts Existing Amtrak Bridge into a Rail Trail Across the Susquehanna
In the shadows of Amtrak’s current bridge over the Susquehanna River, Perryville Mayor Matt Roath publicly announced AmeriStarRail’s proposed bi-level bridge solution. The proposal was sent, in the attached letter, to Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Members of Congress and officials at Maryland DOT and Amtrak.
Unlike Amtrak’s plan to replace its current bridge, built in 1906, with twin bridges by the Year 2036, AmeriStarRail, in collaboration with Kleinfelder and Toole Design, propose that Amtrak and Maryland DOT finance and build just one bi-level bridge to be completed by 2030 without demolishing the current bridge. This would allow the existing Amtrak bridge to be converted into the Trailway Across the Susquehanna. Mayor Roath unveiled, at the event, a conceptual rendering of the rail trail bridge. The trailway bridge will close a major missing link in the East Coast Greenway from Maine to Florida for bicyclists and hikers and create a new recreational attraction for Maryland residents and tourists.
Mayor Roath said, "This railroad bridge has and will continue to bear a significant impact not just upon the residents of our community, but upon residents of the East Coast and those across the entire country. Travel for people and shipping of goods commonly gets tied up and slowed down right here in our small town adding to congestion and contributing to our country’s continued travel and supply chain inefficiencies. After months of research and discussion with officials at AmeriStarRail and considering the multitude of economic and recreational benefits their proposal provides as opposed to the current Amtrak plans being pursued, the Town of Perryville strongly supports the consideration and thorough vetting of the Bicentennial Bridge of American Railroads and the Trailway Across the Susquehanna concepts.”
Unlike Amtrak’s current Susquehanna River Bridge replacement plans, AmeriStarRail’s bi-level bridge solution will eliminate direct operating conflicts between Amtrak trains, MARC commuter trains and Norfolk Southern freight trains at Perryville which is the busiest freight train junction on Amtrak’s Boston - Washington Northeast Corridor. This will allow Amtrak trains to operate up to 200 mph between Wilmington and Baltimore. Amtrak’s new Acela trains are capable of operating at a top speed of 220 mph.
“Amtrak is the safest, most environmentally sustainable way to travel. Unfortunately Amtrak has just a single digit marketshare for all Northeast Corridor trips. More than 85% choose to drive or ride buses on I-95*. Eliminating the wear and tear of sharing high-speed tracks with slow, heavy freight trains is essential for operating smooth, safe and reliable Amtrak high-speed service at commercially competitive speeds up to 200 mph. AmeriStarRail is proposing completion of a bi-level bridge called the Bicentennial Bridge of American Railroads by the 200th anniversary, in 2030, of America’s first railroad - The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. This bi-level bridge will provide Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor with the world-class solution of a flyover to operate high-speed trains on the upper level and slow commuter and freight trains on the lower level to eliminate direct operating conflicts at the Perryville junction,” said AmeriStarRail’s Chief Operating Officer Scott Spencer.
In the letter to Governor Moore, AmeriStarRail also proposed saving the historic 1866 Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad piers, of the first railroad bridge across the Susquehanna, which played a vital role linking the North and South after the Civil War.
*Federal Highway Administration: Annual National Household Travel Survey
About Kleinfelder:
Kleinfelder (www.Kleinfelder.com) is a responsive team of engineers, scientists and construction professionals providing solutions that improve client’s transportation, water, energy and other infrastructure projects. Kleinfelder’s Rail Structures Group is a recognized national leader on many high-profile freight and passenger rail projects that enrich the communities that they serve by creating and improving rail infrastructure and protecting the environment.
About Toole Design:
Toole Design (www.TooleDesign.com) was founded twenty years ago with a simple mission: to support innovative streets and dynamic communities where people of all ages and abilities can enjoy walking, biking and access to transit. As the nation’s leading planning and design firm for bicycle and pedestrian transportation, Toole Design has transformed the way people move and helped communities thrive.