The Port of Baltimore hit a long-anticipated turning point on Monday as the first freight trains loaded with two tiers of stacked containers rumbled out of the city. At a midday ceremony inside the container terminals, state officials and rail executives said the launch will speed up shipments, take more cargo off local highways, and help Baltimore push deeper into Midwest markets.
Gov. Wes Moore and CSX CEO Steve Angel headlined a 1:30 p.m. ceremony to officially kick off the service, according to WBAL NewsRadio. Officials said the new trains can haul rail cars loaded with roughly 60 to 83 tons through the newly expanded Howard Street Tunnel, increasing how much freight the port can move by rail. The event drew a mix of state leaders and industry players who cast the rollout as another key step in rebuilding Baltimore’s freight business.
Howard Street Tunnel Reopened
The 130-year-old Howard Street Tunnel came back online in September 2025 after a major modernization push that lowered the track invert and rebuilt sections so double-stacked containers could fit through, according to CSX. The railroad characterized the roughly $450 million overhaul as a once-in-a-generation upgrade that opens new freight capacity along the I-95 corridor.
What Double-Stacking Will Do
State officials say the tunnel and related upgrades could allow the Port of Baltimore to move roughly 160,000 additional containers each year and support about 13,000 jobs linked to construction and ongoing operations. Those figures, released by the governor’s office, were presented as a sign that the milestone is expected to deliver a meaningful economic lift. The Howard Street Tunnel work is one piece of a larger effort to raise vertical clearances at bridges north of Baltimore and build an unbroken double-stack route along the East Coast, the administration said in its announcement.
How Trains Will Run
Rail operators have already opened a more circuitous northern route so CSX can run double-stack trains while some remaining clearance work continues. The interim option gives the port an early chance to move stacked containers into Midwest markets rather than waiting for every project to wrap up. As reported by Supply Chain Dive, temporary routing sends trains through Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York until the direct line that includes the tunnel and upgraded bridges is fully cleared.
Why It Matters Locally
The timing lands at a delicate moment for Baltimore’s comeback from last year’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse. Local reporting shows the port handled about 1.1 million 20-foot containers in 2025 and saw overall cargo tonnage rebound as terminal operators invested to restore and grow throughput. Local officials told reporters the added rail capacity is designed to hang onto business that might otherwise drift to competing East Coast ports…