BWI Rail Station

BWI Rail Station
Company type	Transit hub
Industry	Transportation
Founded	October 23, 1980; 46 years ago in Linthicum, Maryland, United States
Headquarters	Linthicum, United States
Area served	Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area
Products	Rail and bus transportation services

BWI Rail Station (also signed as BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport) is a multimodal transit hub situated in Linthicum, Maryland, in close proximity to Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI). It accommodates intercity services on the Amtrak Northeast Corridor, regional rail operations via the MARC Penn Line, and various local bus routes.

Positioned slightly more than a mile away from the airport terminal, this station holds the distinction of being the first in the United States constructed expressly to serve an airport. A complimentary shuttle bus runs continuously around the clock, linking the station with the airport terminal.

While Penn Station remains Baltimore's main intercity rail hub, BWI Airport station is a crucial facility within the network. It ranks as Amtrak’s sixth busiest stop in the Mid-Atlantic area, third within the Baltimore-Washington corridor, and twelfth nationally.

History

The idea for the station was initially proposed in 1964 by Baltimore inventor Charles Adler, renowned for his innovations in traffic and aviation safety. The station was officially dedicated on October 23, 1980, mere hours following Adler’s passing, and commenced service for Amtrak intercity and Conrail (now MARC) commuter trains three days later.

The facility includes amenities such as a ticket counter, waiting area, and retail concessions. Adjacent to the station is a parking garage constructed in the late 1990s to replace an earlier smaller lot; it provides 3,200 parking spaces primarily used by commuters traveling to Baltimore or Washington. This garage also serves as a stop for shuttle buses connecting to the BWI terminal and generally has available parking capacity. Between 1991 and 2004, the Carolinian made stops at this station.

Platform renovations

From 2006 through 2010, extensive work was undertaken to reconstruct and extend the high-level platforms. The original structures were replaced with precast concrete components, and new signage, lighting, shelters, railings, canopies, and seating were installed to improve passenger comfort and safety.

Expansion

In 2010, $9.4 million was designated for planning a new station building along with a fourth track addition, initially estimated at $80–100 million. The MDOT sought $300 million in federal funding in 2011; however, this request was denied. In February 2016, the Federal Railroad Administration issued a Finding Of No Significant Impact, permitting final design and construction phases to move forward once funding became available. The projected cost of the project increased to $600 million and included approximately of new fourth track.

On August 27, 2018, the MTA commenced a $4.7 million project to renovate and expand the station facilities while utilizing a temporary structure during construction. The improved station reopened in October 2019 with a formal ribbon-cutting event held in December. Despite these upgrades, concerns related to water infiltration and cleanliness on the Amtrak-owned pedestrian footbridge remained unaddressed, and WiFi was not introduced to the MTA-operated waiting area. The MTA clarified that WiFi is not provided at any of its stations but is coordinating with Amtrak to repair issues affecting the footbridge.

Northeast Corridor

BWI Rail Station is positioned along Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, a major rail route connecting Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston. Prominent Amtrak services that stop here include the Northeast Regional, Acela Express, Crescent, Vermonter, and Palmetto. Additionally, the station serves the MARC Penn Line commuter rail. It should be noted that some long-distance Amtrak routes, as well as certain Northeast Regional and Acela Express trains, do not make stops at this station.

In Amtrak schedules, the station is identified as BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport and holds the distinction of being the busiest Amtrak stop without checked baggage handling.

Public transit connections

Airport shuttle bus: Offers indirect service between the station and MTA's Baltimore Light Rail, with a stop at the airport terminal (BWI Marshall Airport).
MTA LocalLink 75: Connects the station to Arundel Mills to the south and the Patapsco Baltimore Light Rail station to the north, including stops at both the airport terminal and BWI Business District station.
MTA commuter bus route 201: Provides transportation between Gaithersburg and BWI Airport.
UMBC Transit
BayRunner Shuttle: A private shuttle service linking Maryland’s Eastern Shore with a connection to Cumberland.
County Connector: A semi-public, no-cost shuttle service connecting to Arundel Mills, while also integrating Anne Arundel County's 202 and Fort Meade routes. This facilitates access to the NSA Friendship Annex and the National Security Agency.

Access for pedestrians and cyclists

BWI Trail: A pedestrian and bicycle path that circles the airport property alongside the Airport Loop, running adjacent to the station.
An elevated pedestrian bridge links the southbound platform of the station (accessible via second-floor stairwell) to office complexes on Corporate Center Drive, including the headquarters of the Maryland Department of Transportation.

External links