New Carrollton station

New Carrollton station

Company type	Transit station
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	November 20, 1978 (1978-11-20)
Headquarters	New Carrollton , United States
Area served	Prince George's County, Maryland
Products	Washington Metro (Orange and Silver Lines), MARC Penn Line, Amtrak Northeast Regional, Vermonter, Palmetto, Greyhound bus services

New Carrollton station functions as a combined facility for Washington Metro, MARC, and Amtrak services, situated just outside New Carrollton in Prince George's County, Maryland. It serves as the eastern endpoint for both the Metro's Orange and Silver Lines. Additionally, it will become the eastern terminus of the forthcoming Purple Line, which is currently under construction. The station is positioned adjacent to the Capital Beltway.

Beneath the Metro platform lies a waiting area designated for Amtrak's Northeast Regional, Vermonter, and Palmetto services, as well as MARC's Penn Line trains. Operations are supported by the nearby New Carrollton Rail Yard.

The station also serves as a stop for Greyhound buses, offering intercity routes to prominent destinations such as Richmond, Washington, Philadelphia, New York City, and Pittsburgh.

History

This location marks the third rail station established in the vicinity. The earliest was the Lanham station, inaugurated in the 1870s approximately north of today's site. By the late 1960s, it provided limited amenities while serving Penn Central (later Conrail) commuter trains. The second station, known as Capital Beltway station, opened on March 16, 1970, just inside the Capital Beltway, accommodating Penn Central and subsequently Amtrak Metroliner services.

On November 20, 1978, Washington Metro commenced operations at New Carrollton station along with four additional stations, completing of track northeastward from Stadium–Armory station. In August 1982, Conrail commuter trains (which later became AMDOT and then MARC's Penn Line) began servicing Capital Beltway station, replacing stops at Lanham and Landover. Subsequently, on October 30, 1983, both Amtrak and AMDOT relocated their services from Capital Beltway to a newly constructed island platform and waiting area at New Carrollton.

Until 2003, select Acela Express trains made stops at New Carrollton; in October 2015, service by the Palmetto commenced there as well. The Metro station was closed from May 28 to September 5, 2022, to facilitate a Platform Improvement Project impacting Orange Line stations north of . During this period, shuttle buses operated and parking was offered free of charge. Beginning September 10, 2022, Blue Line trains served New Carrollton due to a shutdown of the 14th Street bridge, operating under Blue Plus service; this arrangement concluded on May 7, 2023, with the Yellow Line resuming service.

Amtrak and MARC platform reconstruction started in April 2023. Planned enhancements include constructing an additional side platform and enlarging the train hall to improve capacity and passenger comfort. On June 22, 2025, half of Silver Line trains began running between and New Carrollton. The light rail Purple Line connecting New Carrollton with , currently under development, is slated to open in 2027.

Station layout

The Northeast Corridor at New Carrollton comprises three tracks. Tracks 2 and 3 on the western side share an island platform; Track 1 does not have an adjacent platform. Eastward from the Amtrak platform is the Metro platform serving both the Orange and Silver Lines. Bus loops and parking facilities are accessible on either side of the rail corridor.

Access points include entrances at Harkins Road, Ellin Road, Garden City Drive near U.S. Route 50, and Exit 19 on Interstate 95/Interstate 495.

Future development plans envision adding a second island platform to serve Track 1 alongside introducing a fourth track to expand capacity.