BWI Rail Station

This article is about a regional and inter-city rail station. For the light rail station at BWI, see BWI Airport station (Light RailLink).

BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, MD
Station viewed from the adjacent parking garage in 2019
General information
Location2-7 Amtrak Way
Linthicum, Maryland
United States
Coordinates39°11′33″N 76°41′41″W / 39.192377°N 76.694645°W / 39.192377; -76.694645
Owned byMaryland Transit Administration (building)
Amtrak (rail infrastructure)
Line(s)Amtrak Northeast Corridor
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks3
Connections
Construction
Parking3,200 spaces; Paid garages[2]
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station codeAmtrak: BWI
History
OpenedOctober 26, 1980; 44 years ago (1980-10-26)
Rebuilt2019
Passengers
FY 2023710,752[3] (Amtrak only)
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Washington, D.C.
Terminus
 Acela Baltimore
toward Boston South
Washington, D.C.
One-way operation
 Crescent Baltimore
toward New York
New Carrollton
toward Savannah
 Palmetto
New Carrollton
toward Norfolk, Newport News or Roanoke
 Northeast Regional Baltimore
toward Boston South or Springfield
New Carrollton
toward Washington, D.C.
 Vermonter Baltimore
toward St. Albans
     Cardinal does not stop here
     Carolinian does not stop here
     Silver Meteor does not stop here
Preceding station MARC Following station
Odenton
towards Union Station
 Penn Line Halethorpe
towards Perryville
Former services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station
Odenton
toward Washington, D.C.
 Chesapeake Edmondson
toward Philadelphia–Suburban
Capital Beltway
toward Washington, D.C.
 Metroliner Baltimore
toward New York
Location
Map

BWI Rail Station (signed as BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport) is an intermodal passenger station in Linthicum, Maryland near Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI). It is served by Amtrak Northeast Corridor intercity trains, MARC Penn Line regional rail trains, and several local bus lines.

The station is located just over a mile from the airport's terminal. It was the first intercity rail station in the United States built to service an airport.[4] A free shuttle bus runs between the station and the airport terminal at all hours.[5]

Although Penn Station is the Baltimore area's main intercity station, BWI Airport is a major station in its own right. It is Amtrak's sixth-busiest station in the Mid-Atlantic region (behind New York Penn, Washington, Philadelphia, Baltimore Penn, and Albany-Rensselaer), the third-busiest in the Baltimore-Washington corridor, and the 12th busiest nationwide.

History

Amtrak vice president Bill Norman speaks at the dedication ceremony in October 1980

First proposed in 1964 by Charles Adler, a Baltimore-based inventor of traffic and aircraft safety devices,[6] the station was dedicated on October 23, 1980 – coincidentally, mere hours after Adler's death – and opened for Amtrak intercity and Conrail (now MARC) commuter trains three days later.[7][8]

The station's building houses a ticketing desk, waiting room, and a concessions area. The adjacent parking garage is used by commuters who ride the train to work in Baltimore or Washington, and also contains the bus stop for shuttles to the BWI terminal. The garage was built in the late 1990s to replace a smaller surface lot. It contains 3,200 parking spaces and typically does not fill to capacity.[9] The Carolinian served the station between 1991 and 2004.

Platform renovations

The 1,050 feet (320 m) high-level platforms were rebuilt and lengthened between 2006 and 2010.[10] The existing structures were replaced with new precast concrete segments, and new signs, lights, shelters, railing, canopies, and benches were installed.[11]

Expansion

The new station under construction in June 2019

In 2010, $9.4 million was allocated for design and engineering of a new station building and fourth track, which was then expected to cost $80–100 million.[12][13] MDOT requested $300 million in federal funds for the project in 2011, but the request was denied.[14] The Federal Railroad Administration issued a Finding Of No Significant Impact—a major step in the environmental review process—in February 2016, clearing the way for final design and construction to begin after funding was obtained.[15] The project was then expected to cost $600 million and include 9.4 miles (15.1 km) of fourth track.[14]

On August 27, 2018, the MTA began a $4.7 million project to rebuild and enlarge the station. A temporary station building was used during construction.[16] The new station opened in October 2019, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony held in December.[17][18] The renovation did not modify the Amtrak-owned footbridge, which has water leakage and cleanliness issues, nor add WiFi service in the MTA-owned waiting area. In response, the MTA said that it does not offer WiFi at any of its stations, but is working with Amtrak to ensure that the footbridge gets needed repairs.[18]

Station layout and services

Northeast Corridor

BWI Rail Station is located on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, a 457-mile-long (735 km) rail line connecting Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. Amtrak's Northeast Regional, Acela Express, Vermonter, and Palmetto, as well as the MARC Penn Line commuter rail service, stop at the station. Amtrak long distance trains, as well as some Northeast Regional and Acela Express trains, bypass the station.

The station appears in Amtrak timetables as BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. Unlike most major stations along the Northeast Corridor, it is not possible to check bags to and from BWI; it is the busiest Amtrak station without checked baggage service.

Public transit services

An airport shuttle bus at the station

Pedestrian and bicycle access

  • BWI Trail: A walk/bike trail completely encircles the airport grounds parallel to the Airport Loop, and runs adjacent to the station.[20]
  • An elevated walkway connects the station (at the second floor of the southbound platform's stairwell) with office buildings on Corporate Center Drive, including the Maryland Department of Transportation headquarters.

References

  1. ^ "Bus and Rail Connections" (PDF) (Map). Maryland Transit Administration. August 15, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2023.
  2. ^ "MARC Station Information". Maryland Transit Administration. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  3. ^ "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Maryland" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  4. ^ "BWI Rail Station dedication booklet, 1980". Amtrak. Archived from the original on March 2, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
  5. ^ "Ground Transportation: Amtrak". Maryland Aviation Administration. Archived from the original on July 24, 2017. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
  6. ^ Rasmussen, Charles (September 11, 1999). "In Traffic, He Saw the Light". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  7. ^ Air-Rail Station To Open Amtrak News September 1, 1980, page 3
  8. ^ Shifrin, Carole (October 24, 1980). "BWI Airport Rail Link Celebrates Opening". The Washington Post. p. D3. ProQuest 147198286.
  9. ^ "Availability of MARC Parking". Archived from the original on July 12, 2008. Retrieved July 13, 2008.
  10. ^ "Maryland Transit Administration renovates BWI station platforms". Progressive Railroading. Trade Press Media Group, Inc. November 24, 2010. Archived from the original on March 3, 2020. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
  11. ^ "MARC Council January 2010 Meeting Minutes" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 23, 2010.
  12. ^ "Governor O'Malley Applauds President Obama for High Speed Rail Investment in Maryland" (Press release). State of Maryland. January 28, 2010. Archived from the original on February 3, 2010.
  13. ^ "Maryland has plans for bigger BWI rail station". Railway Track and Structures. New York: Simmons-Boardman Publishing. September 9, 2009. Archived from the original on July 15, 2011.
  14. ^ a b Woodards, Shanteé (February 5, 2016). "BWI Rail Station expansion moves forward". Capital Gazette. Archived from the original on May 24, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
  15. ^ "FRA Gives Green Light to Rebuild BWI Rail Station, Increase Service and Reliability" (Press release). Federal Railroad Administration. February 4, 2016. Archived from the original on March 17, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  16. ^ "MDOT MTA Begins $4.7 Million Renovation of BWI Airport Rail Station on August 27" (Press release). Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Transit Administration. August 22, 2018. Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2019.
  17. ^ Sanders, Craig (October 13, 2019). "BWI Station Reopens With New Facilities". Amtrak in the Heartland. Archived from the original on December 21, 2019. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  18. ^ a b Campbell, Colin (December 10, 2019). "$4.7 million renovation of BWI Rail Station adds passenger amenities but doesn't fix leaky walkway roof". Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on March 4, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  19. ^ "Bus Routes". Maryland Transit Administration. Archived from the original on January 18, 2010. Retrieved November 10, 2009.
  20. ^ "The BWI Trail". Bike Washington. Archived from the original on May 17, 2013. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
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