Virginia Avenue Tunnel
Encyclopedia
The Virginia Avenue Tunnel is a railroad tunnel
in Washington, D.C.
owned by CSX Transportation
. It is part of the CSX RF&P Subdivision and serves freight train
s along the eastern seaboard routes, providing a bypass around Union Station
.
The single-track
tunnel is located under Virginia Avenue
SE, from 15th and M Streets SE to 2nd St. and Virginia Avenue SE. The eastern portal connects to the Anacostia Railroad Bridge
and the CSX Capital Subdivision. At the western end the RF&P Sub runs to the Long Bridge into Virginia
.
. It originally served the B&P station on the present-day site of the National Gallery of Art
, on the National Mall
at 6th & B Street NW (today's Constitution Avenue
). The tunnel was built using the cut and cover method. It was constructed of ashlar
stone for the sidewalls, and brick and stone for the arches. In 1904 the tunnel was extended to its present length due to a track relocation.
Initially the tunnel served both freight and passenger service until Union Station's opening in 1908, and since that time it has been freight-only.
and sufficient height
to allow use of double-stack freight cars and autorack
s. CSX sought government funding in a public-private partnership
as part of its National Gateway
initiative. In 2011 CSX announced that it would fund the tunnel project itself.
Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, completely enclosed except for openings for egress, commonly at each end.A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
owned by CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
. It is part of the CSX RF&P Subdivision and serves freight train
Freight train
A freight train or goods train is a group of freight cars or goods wagons hauled by one or more locomotives on a railway, ultimately transporting cargo between two points as part of the logistics chain...
s along the eastern seaboard routes, providing a bypass around Union Station
Union Station (Washington, D.C.)
Washington Union Station is a train station and leisure destination visited by 32 million people each year in the center of Washington, D.C. The train station is served by Amtrak, MARC and Virginia Railway Express commuter rail services as well as by Washington Metro subway trains and local buses...
.
The single-track
Single track (rail)
A single track railway is where trains in both directions share the same track. Single track is normally used on lesser used rail lines, often branch lines, where the traffic density is not high enough to justify the cost of building double tracks....
tunnel is located under Virginia Avenue
Virginia Avenue
Virginia Avenue is a street in the Northwest, Southwest, and Southeast quadrants of Washington, D.C. Like other state-named streets in Washington, it diagonally crosses the grid pattern formed by lettered and numbered streets....
SE, from 15th and M Streets SE to 2nd St. and Virginia Avenue SE. The eastern portal connects to the Anacostia Railroad Bridge
Anacostia Railroad Bridge
The Anacostia Railroad Bridge is a railroad bridge crossing the Anacostia River in Washington, D.C., USA. The bridge is owned by CSX Transportation...
and the CSX Capital Subdivision. At the western end the RF&P Sub runs to the Long Bridge into Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
History
The tunnel was constructed in 1872 by the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad (B&P), later controlled by the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
. It originally served the B&P station on the present-day site of the National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
, on the National Mall
National Mall
The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The National Mall is a unit of the National Park Service , and is administered by the National Mall and Memorial Parks unit...
at 6th & B Street NW (today's Constitution Avenue
Constitution Avenue
In Washington, D.C., Constitution Avenue is a major east-west street running just north of the United States Capitol in the city's Northwest and Northeast quadrants...
). The tunnel was built using the cut and cover method. It was constructed of ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
stone for the sidewalls, and brick and stone for the arches. In 1904 the tunnel was extended to its present length due to a track relocation.
Initially the tunnel served both freight and passenger service until Union Station's opening in 1908, and since that time it has been freight-only.
Planned modifications
In 2008 CSX proposed to modify or replace the tunnel to provide room for a second trackDouble track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
and sufficient height
Structure gauge
The structure gauge, also called the minimum clearance outline, is the minimum height and width of tunnels and bridges as well as the minimum height and width of the doors that allow a rail siding access into a warehouse...
to allow use of double-stack freight cars and autorack
Autorack
An autorack, also known as an auto carrier, is a specialized piece of railroad rolling stock used to transport automobiles and light trucks, generally from factories to automotive distributors...
s. CSX sought government funding in a public-private partnership
Public-private partnership
Public–private partnership describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies...
as part of its National Gateway
National Gateway
National Gateway is a multi-stage railroad construction project in the United States promoted by CSX Transportation, a unit of CSX Corporation. It is designed to improve rail connections between ports in the U.S. mid-Atlantic seaboard and the Midwest by upgrading bridges and tunnels to allow taller...
initiative. In 2011 CSX announced that it would fund the tunnel project itself.
External links
- Heavy Rail Track and Structures in Washington DC - BelowTheCapital.org