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10/25/2021
Amtrak, federal and local officials last week held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of the redevelopment of Baltimore Penn Station.
The project — which includes a platform expansion — is part of Amtrak’s $150 million investment to improve the rider experience and grow ridership.
"In partnership with Penn Station Partners, we are set to transform Penn Station into a premier regional transportation hub," said Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn in a press release. "This construction will serve as the catalyst to transform surrounding vacant land already owned by Amtrak into a mixed-use, transit-oriented development with up to one million square feet of new office, retail and residential space."
Planning and development began in 2018 after Baltimore-based developer Penn Station Partners, led by Beatty Development Group and Cross Street Partners, was announced as the selected master developer.
To allow for greater operability of train service, Amtrak is rebuilding a low-level platform into an ADA compliant high-level platform and constructing a new platform. The work — along with a renewed overhead electrical system and an upgraded 30-mile stretch of track between Baltimore and Washington Union Station — will enable operation at higher speeds.
Built in 1911, Penn Station last underwent a major transformation in 1984 as part of the Northeast Corridor Improvement Project. The station serves as Baltimore’s primary transportation hub, and prior to the pandemic, more than 3 million Amtrak and MARC passengers moved through the facility each year.