College Park–University of Maryland station
| Company type | Transit station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1878 |
| Headquarters | College Park, Maryland , United States |
| Products | Washington Metro Green Line service, MARC Camden Line service, future Purple Line service |
College Park–University of Maryland station functions as both a Washington Metro and MARC transit point located in College Park, Maryland, immediately adjacent to the campus of the University of Maryland, College Park. It accommodates the Metro's Green Line along with limited service on MARC's Camden Line. The station is also set to become a stop for the forthcoming Purple Line light rail, anticipated to commence operations in 2027.
Station layout
Positioned just south of Campus Parkway and roughly southeast of the university’s central area, the station lies next to the College Park office park. The area is traversed north-south by two parallel two-track lines: the Capital Subdivision, utilized by MARC trains on the west side, and the Metro E Route. An island platform serves Washington Metro trains, accessible via an underground fare concourse from either side. MARC trains are served by two smaller side platforms located on the west, reached through an underpass beneath the Metro tracks. While the Metro platform offers full accessible features, the MARC platforms do not currently provide such accommodations.
On the eastern side of the station is a parking structure with 1,345 spaces alongside a bus plaza. Transit connections include services from Metrobus, The Bus, Laurel’s Connect-a-Ride, as well as a university-operated shuttle route.
History
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) inaugurated its Washington Branch—now known as the Capital Subdivision—in 1835. By 1878, a station was established to serve Maryland Agricultural College, which is presently the University of Maryland, College Park. During the 1980s, MARC assumed operation of B&O’s Baltimore–Washington commuter service, rebranded as the Camden Line.
Metro service at this location began on December 11, 1993, coinciding with the Green Line extension to . A parking garage was added later, opening on June 25, 2005. In May 2012, this station became Metro’s first to feature a "Bike & Ride" facility—a mesh-enclosed area within the parking garage capable of securely storing up to 120 bicycles with around-the-clock access.
Yellow Line trains extended their reach to Greenbelt during peak periods from June 18, 2012, until June 25, 2017, under the "Rush+" program; full-time Yellow Line service resumed on May 25, 2019. The station experienced closures between March and June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and again from May to September 2021 for platform renovations. Yellow Line operations were suspended from September 10, 2022, until May 7, 2023; upon resumption, service terminated at , no longer continuing to College Park. Additionally, maintenance work led to closure of the Green Line segment north of Fort Totten—including this station—between July and September 2023. Partial restoration of Yellow Line service extending back to Greenbelt is projected for December 2025.
The ongoing construction of the Purple Line, slated for launch in 2027, will introduce an island platform east of existing Metro tracks near a bus loop that underwent reconstruction in 2021. In May 2024, the Federal Transit Administration granted $1.4 million dedicated to design and engineering aimed at enhancing accessibility at the MARC station; these improvements include new platforms approximately long.