West Baltimore station facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
West Baltimore
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
West Baltimore station platforms in March 2015
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | 401 North Smallwood Street Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 39°17′36″N 76°39′11″W / 39.293368°N 76.653172°W | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Owned by | Maryland Transit Administration | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Line(s) | Amtrak Northeast Corridor | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Platforms | 2 side platforms | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tracks | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Connections |  MTA BaltimoreLink: Blue, Orange, Pink, 26, 77, 150, 163 |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Construction | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parking | 327 spaces | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opened | April 30, 1984 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Electrified | 1935 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traffic | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Passengers (2018) | 823 daily  7% |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Services | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
The West Baltimore station is a train stop in the western part of Baltimore, Maryland. It's a commuter rail station, meaning people use it to travel to and from work or school every day. Trains from the MARC Penn Line stop here.
The station is built on a raised area at 400 Smallwood Street. It is close to West Mulberry and West Franklin Streets, which connect to U.S. Route 40. There are three big parking lots for people who drive to the station.
Currently, the station only has stairs to reach its two low-level platforms. This means it's not easy for everyone, especially those with wheelchairs or other mobility needs, to use. However, the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) plans to make the station much better. They want to add new platforms and entrances that are easy for everyone to use.
Contents
A Look Back: History of West Baltimore Station
Edmondson: The First Station
The Baltimore and Potomac Railroad (B&P) opened its train line to Baltimore in 1873. This railroad was owned by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR). In the early 1900s, PRR trains used to stop at two places west of Baltimore: Lafayette and Calverton (also called Gwynns Falls). These stops served local neighborhoods.
Trains traveling from Washington, D.C. to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania had a problem. They had to go backwards from Baltimore to Washington, D.C. to reach Penn Station. To fix this, the PRR decided to build one new station between Lafayette and Calverton. This new station would be for longer trips. They also planned a special track shape, called a wye, to help trains skip Penn Station.
The PRR started asking for bids to build the new station in July 1916. It cost about $50,000 at that time. The station was designed in the Spanish Mission style. It was made of red brick with a terra-cotta tile roof. A PRR architect named William Holmes Cookman designed it.
The station was named Edmondson and opened on May 1, 1917. The original plans included high platforms and a bridge to connect them to the station building. But these plans were put on hold because of World War I. In the end, neither the station improvements nor the wye were ever built.
Edmondson station was not as successful as a similar station in North Philadelphia. It was far from the city center and didn't have good public transport connections. Also, without the wye, it couldn't serve trains going to Harrisburg. So, Edmondson mostly served local trains for people traveling between Washington and Baltimore.
Local train service continued under different companies over the years. It was run by Penn Central from 1968 to 1976. Then Conrail took over until 1983. Finally, Amtrak ran the state-funded AMDOT service. This service was renamed the MARC Penn Line in 1984.
In March 1979, the station closed for a short time. This happened after an accident damaged the stairs to the platform. Amtrak's Chesapeake train started stopping at Edmondson on July 29, 1979. This train was a limited-stop commuter service between Washington and Philadelphia. However, the Chesapeake train stopped running on October 30, 1983.
West Baltimore: The New Station
Edmondson station continued to be a stop for state-funded commuter trains. But on April 27, 1984, the Edmondson and Frederick Road stops closed. A new station, called West Baltimore, opened on April 30, 1984. It was built two blocks south of the old Edmondson Avenue station.
The stairs and platforms at the old Edmondson station were removed. But the station building itself is still there. It was turned into a private business before the train stop closed.
In 2009, there was news about adding about 400 parking spaces east of Pulaski Street. This was part of a project to remove a part of Interstate 170 (now Route 40). This section of the highway was never used for cars. The parking spots were not meant to be permanent. They would only be available until the area around the station was redeveloped. The old expressway was taken down in the fall of 2010. The new parking spaces opened soon after.
West Baltimore station has received comments about its condition. People have said it feels unsafe because the platforms and staircases are old and damaged. They are crumbling and rusted.
As part of a bigger project to fix the Interstate 170 area, the station will get many improvements over the next few years. In 2014, immediate repairs were made to the stairs and platforms. New shelters and better lighting were also added.
There are plans to make the platforms longer so they can serve more train cars. They will also be raised to make them accessible for everyone. Ramps will be built to connect the station to the nearby streets.
The Red Line light rail service is also planned for this area. It was originally going to start construction in 2015 but was canceled that year. However, the project was brought back in 2023. Construction is now set to begin in 2026 or 2027. The Red Line will run along the Route 40 corridor, under the elevated city streets. There will be a stop at West Baltimore. Escalators and elevators will help people get from the station to the streets above Route 40.
The station is also planned to move slightly as part of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel project. The new station will be a bit to the west. It will have full-length, high-level platforms running south from West Franklin Street.
Getting Around: Bus Connections
The West Baltimore station is also a hub for several MTA Bus routes. These buses help people connect to different parts of the city and beyond:
- CityLink Blue – Travels from Johns Hopkins Bayview to Westgate / CMS.
- CityLink Orange – Connects West Baltimore to Essex.
- CityLink Pink – Runs from West Baltimore to Cedonia.
- LocalLink 26 – Goes from Mondawmin Metro to South Baltimore Park & Ride.
- LocalLink 77 – Travels from West Baltimore MARC to Catonsville.
- Express BusLink 150 – Connects Harbor East to Columbia.
- Express BusLink 163 – Runs from West Baltimore MARC to Tradepoint Atlantic.
Images for kids
-
West Baltimore station platforms in March 2015
-
The former Edmondson station building in 2017
-
Stairs leading to the platform of the West Baltimore station in May 2019
