Amtrak unveils revised design for West Baltimore MARC Station

Amtrak yesterday released new renderings of the West Baltimore MARC Station that will be built as part of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel Program.

The updated design builds on previous versions that were publicly shared and developed in close coordination with the Maryland Department of Transportation-Maryland Transit Administration (MDOT MTA), Amtrak officials said in a press release. The new design also incorporates feedback from community members and other stakeholders, they added.

“The new West Baltimore MARC Station will upgrade the customer experience for thousands of annual MARC riders while enhancing connectivity to Baltimore Penn Station, Washington D.C., and beyond,” said Amtrak Assistant Vice President Luigi Rosa, who is leading the tunnel program.

The West Baltimore MARC Station will feature an enclosed waiting area; enhanced pick-up and drop-off areas; full ADA accessibility, including elevators and level boarding platforms that line up with trains; and local transit connections to the West Baltimore bus hub and future Red Line light-rail route.

The station is a vital component of the tunnel program, which involves modernizing and transforming a 10-mile section of the Northeast Corridor through several infrastructure upgrades, Amtrak officials said. The project includes the construction of a new tunnel for electrified passenger trains that currently use the existing 151-year-old B&P Tunnel.

The overall tunnel program is projected to be completed by 2035. Amtrak and MDOT MTA are developing a construction timeline for the new station and plan to provide additional updates as planning and final design efforts advance.