AECOM announced that an AECOM-led joint venture with Jacobs has been selected by Amtrak to serve as delivery partner for the $6 billion Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program that will upgrade a ten-mile section of the Northeast Corridor (NEC), America's busiest passenger rail line. The cornerstone of the program will be the delivery of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel featuring two new high-capacity tubes for electrified passenger trains. Located south of Baltimore Penn Station, the new tunnel will replace the existing 150-year-old B&P Tunnel and, once complete, it will deliver a faster, more reliable trip for more than 12 million annual Amtrak and MARC customers in the region.

The joint venture will be responsible for overseeing the full breadth of the program, including supervision of all anticipated program contracts. The scope of services includes program management, design oversight, construction oversight, commissioning oversight, program controls, and commercial and capacity building. The Program will also include delivery of a new roadway and railroad bridges, new rail systems and track, and a new ADA-accessible West Baltimore MARC station.

Further updates will involve the integration of modern fire and safety systems, including emergency pathways to the surface and fire ventilation systems.