Amtrak will temporarily shut down a section of its tracks just south of Washington DC's Union Station for nine days in October, disrupting train service between DC and Virginia.
The outage will begin after service ends Friday, Oct. 16, and continue through Sunday, Oct. 25. Normal service is expected to resume Monday, Oct. 26.
The work is part of Amtrak’s “Pause for Progress” infrastructure project. Crews will replace aging track switches and crossovers, rehabilitate the track inside the First Street Tunnel and install new electrical systems.
The current switches have exceeded their service life and currently require trains to travel through the area at 10 mph, according to Amtrak. The railroad says completing the work during one nine-day outage
is more practical than conducting the work in phases because of the tunnel’s limited space and access.
What does Amtrak's service outage mean for passengers?
Amtrak’s Northeast Regional service between Washington DC, New York and Boston will continue. But trains traveling south of DC will see significant changes.
Some routes will be shortened, while others will use buses to connect passengers between DC and Alexandria or other Virginia cities.
Amtrak Virginia will operate one daily round trip between Norfolk and Alexandria and one between Roanoke and Alexandria. Amtrak will also run three round-trip buses between Alexandria and DC that are timed to connect with trains.
The railroad will also offer express buses between DC and several Virginia cities, including Roanoke, Lynchburg, Charlottesville, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Newport News, Williamsburg and Richmond.
Other long-distance routes will be shortened or split during the project.
The Carolinian, for example, will run between New York and DC, then connect to a bus between DC and Alexandria before continuing by train to Charlotte. Several long-distance routes, like the Cardinal, Floridian, Silver Meteor and Crescent, will also operate on shortened segments.
Union Station itself is not closing, however.
Passengers traveling during the outage should check their specific Amtrak itinerary before heading to the station. Amtrak says to check its website for rebooking options and alternative travel arrangements.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why Amtrak service will be disrupted in Washington DC for 9 days
