Station Review #50: Baltimore Pennsylvania (Amtrak/MARC)


Baltimore-Pennsylvania Station (aka Baltimore-Penn or just Penn) is the main train station of Baltimore, Maryland. This station is used both for MARC trains and Amtrak trains, most notably for the MARC PENN line and Amtrak's Northeast Regional and Acela trains, as well as other Amtrak trains. Baltimore-Penn Station is currently the 8th most used train station in the US.

History

Baltimore Penn Station is the third iteration of the train station in that exact location, and trains stopping here go back to 1873. The first station was a wooden station built by the North Central Railroad, a subsidiary of the PRR. This was demolished, and replaced by the Charles Street Union Station, pictured above. This was then also demolished and replaced by a new Baltimore Penn station in 1910, which is the station that is currently there. 

Historically, all service was run by the PRR, which not only included service up and down the Northeast Corridor but also included service on the Harrisburg Branch between Harrisburg, PA, and DC. This service does not exist anymore, even though the tracks still do. Then, the PRR stopped existing and all service was assumed by Amtrak and Conrail. 

In the 1980s, MARC started running commuter trains to Baltimore from DC after the PRR and Amtrak stopped doing that. Today both Amtrak and MARC run service to this station. 

Services Provided

AMTRAK:

• Acela: Express service from DC to Boston via Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York City
• Cardinal: New York City to Chicago via Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC, Charlottesville, Charleston (WV), Cincinnati, and Indianapolis
• Carolinian: New York City to Charlotte via Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC, Richmond, Raleigh, and Durham
• Crescent: New York City to New Orleans via Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC, Charlottesville, Atlanta, and Birmingham
• Northeast Regional: Local version of Acela
• Palmetto: New York City to Savannah via Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC, Richmond, and Charleston (SC)
• Silver Meteor: New York City to Miami via Philadelphia, Baltimore, DC, Richmond, Charleston (SC),  Savannah,  Jacksonville, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, and Miami
• Silver Star: Similar to the Silver Meteor except it goes through Tampa as well
• Vermonter: DC to Saint Albans, VT via Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Hartford, Springfield (MA), Brattleboro, Montpelier, and Burlington

MARC:

• Penn Line: Commuter rail from DC to Perryville, MD via Baltimore. May soon be extended to Newark, DE to connect to SEPTA

Location 

An area near the station

The station is located in a terrible spot, far away from the actual downtown of the city, and away from any actual rapid transit lines (not including buses). Sure, the Light RailLink was a few blocks away, but those few blocks meant a lot in that freezing cold morning when I visited the station. To make matters worse, the station is incredibly close to a highway, and that highway isolates the station from areas south of the city many are trying to go to. 

Station Tour

Front of the station, currently under construction

The station is currently being renovated, usually a good sign that people actually care about it.

Back of the station

You can still see the back of the actual station though, through a random nearby parking lot. 

Going inside, there is a lot to see. The station house is divided into multiple chambers, with waiting areas, MARC machines, and two or three stores. There is also a very large departure board there as well

Gallery

The benches wrap around the wall 

Oh, MARC...

Every time I have visited this station, this café was always closed. I wonder when or if it'll ever open

Hallway

Light fixture

One of the platforms

MARC Penn Line train laying over

Amtrak locomotive #636 on train 151, en route to Roanoke

The platforms but in the daytime

Arches

When I last visited, a new platform was in the process of being built

When you look closer at the columns, it shows just how much detail went into this station. 

Winter Festivities

Advertisements for nearby attractions

And who could not forget the memorable (and divisive) art piece in front of the station that I could not get a proper photo of without the sun going directly into my phone camera? 

Transit Connections

CCC bus sign

There are nine bus connections at Baltimore Penn Station. 

CityLink


• Gold: Walbrook Junction to Berea or Canton Junction
• Green: Inner Harbour to Towson
• Silver: Curtis Bay to Morgan State University via John Hopkins University

Note: the CityLink Gold is not directly at the station but rather a couple of blocks north of it.

LocalLink, ExpressBusLink, and Commuter Buses


• LocalLink 51: Inner Harbour to Towson via Towson University
• LocalLink53: State Center to Cromwell Bridge P&R or Stephen Pratt Hospital (Towson University)
• LocalLink 94: Sinai Hospital to Fort McHenry
• LocalLink 95: Inner Harbour to Towson via Towson University
• ExpressBusLink 103: Inner Harbour to Cromwell Bridge Park and Ride
• Commuter Bus 410: State Center to Churchville

Note: a few of these are not directly at the station but rather a couple of blocks away in any direction.

Charm City Connector and other Routes


• Charm City Purple Route: John Hopkins University to Federal Hill
• OurBus also stops immediately outside of the station en route to numerous locations in the Mid-Atlantic (and also Storrs, Connecticut).

Note: a few of these are not directly at the station but rather a couple of blocks away in any direction.

About the LightRailLink


While at Baltimore Penn Station, you may see a sign advertising the Baltimore LightRailLink's Penn Station spur. This does not exist as a service anymore and has not since 2020. Instead, one must walk two blocks to Mt. Royal/MICA station, maybe more. Personally, I use Cultural Center Station instead because it's difficult for me to find Mt. Royal/MICA station. 

Points of Interest in Baltimore 


There's a lot to see in Baltimore. So much, in fact, that I could spend all day listing things to see and do! But, I won't do that because this is already long enough as it is. Unfortunately, many of these things require you to go to the Inner Harbour, which this station is not near. Near the station itself, there is not much to see at all. 

Statistics


Name: Baltimore Penn 
Agencies: Amtrak/MARC
Line(s): Amtrak: Acela, Cardinal, Carolinian, Crescent, Northeast Regional, Palmetto, Silver Meteor, Silver Star, Vermonter. MARC: Penn Line
Locality: Mount Vernon
City/Township: City of Baltimore 
County: Baltimore City
State: Maryland
Ridership: Amtrak: 2278 per average weekday, MARC: 512 per average weekday, total: 2790 per average weekday

Amenities


Accessible: ✓
Bathrooms: ✓
Bicycle parking: ✓
Clean Station: ✓
Connections to other transit routes: ✓
Convenience Store/similar place inside: ✓
Easy passage for each side: ✓
Fare Payment Kiosks (if applicable): ✓
Good Wayfinding: ✓
Indoor Shelters: ✓
Maps: ✓
Multiple entrances/exits: ✓
Seating: ✓
Shelters: ✓
Station In Good Condition: ✓
TVMs: ✓
Ticket Offices: ✓
TOD: ✓
Train Departure/Arrival Info (signs that update/screens): ✓
Updated/Useful Signage: × (signs still exist for the Penn spur that doesn't run anymore)

Final Verdict: 8/10

This would be such a good station, but the location just ruins it for me. 

Station Directory

--------MASSACHUSETTS--------
--------Suffolk County--------
South Station
Back Bay
--------Norfolk County--------
Route 128
--------RHODE ISLAND--------
--------Providence County--------
Providence
--------Washington County--------
Kingston
Westerly
-------CONNECTICUT--------
--------New London County--------
Mystic
New London
--------Middlesex County--------
Old Saybrook
--------New Haven County--------
New Haven Union 
--------Fairfield County--------
Bridgeport
Stamford
--------NEW YORK--------
--------Westchester County--------
New Rochelle
--------Manhattan Borough--------
New York Penn
--------New Jersey--------
--------Essex County--------
Newark Penn
Newark Liberty International Airport
--------Middlesex County--------
Metropark
New Brunswick
--------Mercer County--------
Princeton Junction
Trenton Transit Center
--------PENNSYLVANIA--------
--------Philadelphia County--------
30th Street
--------DELAWARE--------
--------New Castle County--------
Wilmington
Newark
--------MARYLAND--------
--------Cecil County--------
    Perryville
--------Harford County--------
Aberdeen
    Edgewood
--------Baltimore County--------
 Martin State Airport
--------Baltimore City--------
Baltimore Penn
    West Baltimore
--------Baltimore County--------
    Halethorpe
--------Anne Arundel County--------
BWI/Thurgood Marshall Airport
    Odenton
--------Prince George’s County--------
    Bowie State University
    Seabrook
New Carrolton
--------DC--------
Washington DC Union Station


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Station Review #73: Glenside (SEPTA)

Image
Glenside is a station serving multiple SEPTA Regional Rail lines, located at Easton Road and Glenside Avenue in Glenside, PA.  History Glenside station was built in 1873 by the North Pennsylvania Railroad, one of the few original NPRR station houses to remain to this day. Just six years later, the NPRR was bought by the Philadelphia and Reading Railway, the predecessor to the Reading Railroad. Glenside station was originally named Abington station, and was renamed sometime later to Glenside.  In 2000, a café opened in the station building called Elcy's Café.  Routes that Serve Glenside Station  There are four Regional Rail routes that go to Glenside station, these are:  Airport Line: These trains go to Center City via the SEPTA Main line, before then going to Philadelphia International Airport. Oftentimes, these are combined with Warminister Line trains.  Glenside Combined Line: These trains usually just go from 30th Stre...
Read more

Station Review #54: Gwynedd Valley (SEPTA)

Image
Gwynedd Valley is a station on SEPTA's Lansdale - Doylestown line at its intersection with Plymouth Avenue in the small village of Gwynedd Valley, PA.  History Information about the history of Gwynedd Valley station is scarce. This station dates back to the 1850s. It's unknown if the station building is that old, or if it's actually a newer station built by the Reading Railroad after the acquisition of the North Penn Railroad main line. Not long after Gwynedd Valley station was built, wealthy people started moving to that area in droves. Today, many very wealthy people still live in the area.  Gwynedd Valley station is well known for an illustration of it being on the October 7th, 1961 cover of the Saturday Evening Post . This is illustrated by well-known illustrator John Falter, at the time a resident of Whitpain Township, PA.   Tour Much as you'd expect, this station really has not changed all that much in the last ce...
Read more

Station Review #14: Wilmington (Greyhound)

Image
Schedule changes on the door Greyhound has a bus station in Wilmington. It's not the largest bus station that they've had, but at least it still exists. Let's look around inside! Tour Side of the building. The outside of the building is made to fit in with the rest of the Furness Transit district, anchored by  Wilmington (Amtrak/SEPTA) . Thus, it attempts to look like it's made of red bricks, failing miserably at doing this upon closer inspection. To enter, you must go to the other side of the building.  Going inside the building, you enter to see a large number of chairs, and not much else. There is a vending machine or two, bathrooms, and an American flag, and that's all you get. There is so much empty space here. Greyhound didn't even add a TV, or anything similar for waiting customers.  Much of the area you wait in Ad for the Greyest Hound on the window of the Greyhound waiting station Rest of the s...
Read more