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November 2005

In November 2001, the Congress requested "a comprehensive study to assess problems in the freight and passenger rail infrastructure in the vicinity of Baltimore, Maryland." In particular, the study was to analyze the condition and capabilities of the railways’ fixed facilities and "examine the benefits and costs of various alternatives for reducing congestion and improving safety and efficiency in the [rail] operations" in the Baltimore region.

This report responds to that request.

The report comprises two parts. Tracing the development, current condition, and utilization levels of Baltimore’s rail network, Part I ("Challenges") characterizes the dissonance between the network as it has evolved and the demands placed upon it. Part II ("Alternatives") examines the potential for restructuring actions that could raise passenger and freight railway capabilities in the Baltimore region to a new plateau.  The engineering drawings and overlays contained in the Graphics Supplement offer a preliminary conceptual indication of selected portions of the routings envisioned for some of the alternatives discussed in the Executive Summary and Main Report.

Executive Summary
Part I - Challenges
Part II - Alternatives
Graphics Supplement