AmeriStarRail Demands Amtrak Pier Demolition Stop, Cites Historic Importance Of Structure

HARFORD COUNTY, MD — Last week, Amtrak leaders and other officials kicked off the Susquehanna River Rail Bridge Project, a two-track bridge located in Havre de Grace and Perryville. But on Thursday, AmeriStarRail filed a complaint with the Amtrak inspector general regarding that very project.

Built in 1906, the Susquehanna River Bridge is owned by Amtrak and used by Amtrak, the Maryland Area Regional Commuter rail and Norfolk Southern Railway to carry passenger and freight trains across the Susquehanna River. As the longest moveable bridge on the NEC, the bridge will be replaced with new structures designed to boost capacity, trip time and safety, according to Amtrak.

The first pre-construction work includes removing bridge piers from the Susquehanna River and making utility upgrades in Perryville. In the Susquehanna River, an Amtrak contractor is demolishing and removing 10 piers. These leftover piers remain from an 1866 railroad bridge that was located just east of the existing bridge and had its superstructure removed several decades ago, Amtrak stated.

In a letter sent to Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner, AmeriStarRail requested that Amtrak stop the demolition of what it called the Underground Railroad Monuments of Freedom, which are owned by the state of Maryland, AmeriStarRail stated. The P.W. & B. Railroad bridge piers targeted for demolition destroys a piece of Maryland's history, some say.

"Amtrak's plan to demolish the historic P.W. & B. Railroad bridge piers, referred to as the Underground Railroad Monuments of Freedom, is a senseless waste of taxpayer dollars and an erasure of our invaluable history. These piers mark the path to freedom for countless enslaved individuals who crossed the Susquehanna River in search of liberty. Their preservation is crucial not only as monuments to the resilience and courage of those who sought freedom but also as educational tools that help us understand and remember the struggles and triumphs of our past," stated Stacey Patton with the Morgan State University.

Leaders have asked Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and the state department of transportation to intervene and save the piers, "ensuring they remain a testament to the brave souls who fought for their freedom and a reminder of the critical role our transportation infrastructure played in their journey."

"Destroying these monuments not only wastes resources but also obliterates a tangible connection to our nation's history that deserves to be honored and remembered," Patton added.

AmeriStarRail Chief Operating Officer Scott Spencer said that Amtrak is aware the bridge piers are not in the way of construction of the new bridge and is "falsely claiming they are an impediment to boaters."

“Amtrak’s senseless, needless and wasteful spending will destroy the Underground Railroad Monuments of Freedom and the Black American history related to these historic bridge piers ... Amtrak is not in the maritime business. The Office of the Inspector General needs to investigate Amtrak’s wasteful spending of millions of dollars of Northeast Corridor infrastructure funds on a river navigation project that could be better spent to improve railroad safety with more trackside security fencing," Spencer said in a statement.

Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association Executive Director Ted Evegeniadis said that an environmental assessment indicated that the piers should be preserved, not destroyed.

“There is no good reason or purpose for demolition of these railroad bridge piers ... Improvements should rather be made to keep the historical significance of these piers intact. These piers have been used as colonial water bird nesting areas as noted by the Lower Susquehanna’s historic populations. Amtrak’s presumed authority for demolition and the license they received should be revoked immediately.”

In the letter sent to Amtrak, members of Congress, Gov. Moore, the Maryland DOT and others, Spencer wrote that AmeriStarRail's proposed partnership with Amtrak would serve coach passengers on all Amtrak high-speed trains, the Baltimore Grand Slam and a bi-level Susquehanna River bridge, which will "eliminate the busiest junction with freight trains on the Northeast Corridor at Perryville, Maryland." But the letter also said that Amtrak officials and project engineers have falsely claimed that the Trailway Across the Susquehanna for bicyclists and pedestrians will "create safety and security risks" and that the piers targeted for demolition have "nothing to do with the Underground Railroad and Black American history."

"The purpose of this letter is to request that Amtrak immediately cease and desist from conducting its business defamation activities against AmeriStarRail. Amtrak officials, including yourself, are paid with taxpayer dollars and thus it is a misuse of public funds to disrupt private business enterprise," Spencer wrote.

"In addition, we are requesting that Amtrak immediately halt the senseless and needless demolition of the Underground Railroad Monuments of Freedom, which Amtrak describes as 'remnant bridge piers that are an impediment to boaters.' These historic piers are the largest group of surviving structures related to the Underground Railroad and are the property of the state of Maryland, not Amtrak. Amtrak is fully aware that the piers are not in the way of the new bridge that will be constructed north of the existing Amtrak bridge and, as such, are not in the way of construction barges," Spencer continued.

Related:

Officials Kick Off Susquehanna River Rail Bridge Project