West Baltimore station
| Company type | Commuter rail station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transportation |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Headquarters | Baltimore, Maryland , United States |
| Products | MARC Penn Line commuter rail services |
West Baltimore station is a commuter rail facility located in the western part of Baltimore, Maryland, positioned along the Northeast Corridor. It accommodates MARC Penn Line services and is situated at 400 Smallwood Street, close to West Mulberry and West Franklin Streets, adjacent to U.S. Route 40. The station offers three expansive surface parking areas for daily commuters. It consists of two low-level side platforms accessible solely via stairways, rendering it currently unsuitable for some passengers with mobility challenges. Nevertheless, MTA Maryland has plans to upgrade the station by adding accessible platforms and entryways.
Edmondson
The Baltimore and Potomac Railroad (B&P), a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad, extended its line to Baltimore in 1873. By the early twentieth century, PRR trains stopped at Lafayette and Calverton (also known as Gwynns Falls), serving residential neighborhoods west of Baltimore. Since both the B&P and the Northern Central Railway approached Penn Station from the west, PRR's through trains running between Washington, D.C. and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania were required to reverse direction between Baltimore and Washington. To address this inefficiency, PRR proposed constructing a single intercity station between these two points, along with a wye north of the Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel to bypass Penn Station.
In July 1916, PRR solicited bids for the project, estimating costs at $50,000 (approximately $1.3 million in today’s dollars). The station, designed by PRR architect William Holmes Cookman, was built in the Spanish Mission style using red brick with a terra-cotta tile roof and named Edmondson. It officially opened on May 1, 1917. Although initial designs included high-level platforms and a pedestrian footbridge, these features were postponed due to World War I nationalization efforts and ultimately never realized; similarly, the proposed wye was never constructed.
Unlike other stations of similar scale such as North Philadelphia station, Edmondson experienced limited commercial success. Its remote location from downtown Baltimore and absence of transit connections reduced its attractiveness; without the wye, it could not serve Harrisburg-bound trains. The station mainly handled local commuter traffic between Washington and Baltimore. This service persisted through ownership changes—from Penn Central (1968–1976) to Conrail until 1983—and was later operated as state-supported Amtrak service under the name AMDOT before being rebranded as the MARC Penn Line in 1984.
The station temporarily ceased operations in March 1979 due to an accident that destroyed its platform stairway. Amtrak’s limited-stop commuter train Chesapeake, running between Washington and Philadelphia, began servicing Edmondson on July 29, 1979; however, this service ended on October 30, 1983.
West Baltimore
On April 27, 1984, both Edmondson and Frederick Road stations were closed and replaced three days later by the West Baltimore station located two blocks south of Edmondson Avenue. The original Edmondson station building still exists as a privately owned commercial property, having been converted prior to its closure.
In 2009, approximately 400 temporary parking spots were added east of Pulaski Street after dismantling the unused segment of Interstate 170 (currently Route 40). The expressway was demolished in fall 2010, with parking facilities opening soon afterward.
West Baltimore station has drawn criticism over unsafe conditions caused by deteriorating platforms and corroded staircases. As part of repairs related to Interstate 170 improvements, immediate upgrades—including enhancements to stairs, platforms, shelters, and lighting—were implemented in 2014. Future plans involve extending platforms to accommodate longer trains, constructing raised platforms for accessibility compliance, and installing ramps connecting to nearby streets.
The planned Red Line light rail service—originally intended for a 2015 launch but canceled that year—opened in 2022 and was revived again in 2023 with construction projected for 2026 or 2027. This line will run along Route 40’s median with a stop at West Baltimore featuring escalators and elevators linking the station to street level.
Furthermore, as part of the Frederick Douglass Tunnel project, the station is slated for relocation slightly westward onto a new alignment with full-length high-level platforms extending southward from West Franklin Street.
Bus connections
Seven MTA Bus routes provide service to this station:
- CityLink Blue – connecting Johns Hopkins Bayview with Westgate / CMS
- CityLink Orange – running between West Baltimore and Essex
- CityLink Pink – linking West Baltimore to Cedonia
- LocalLink 26 – operating from Mondawmin Metro to South Baltimore Park & Ride
- LocalLink 77 – serving the route from West Baltimore MARC to Catonsville
- Express BusLink 150 – traveling between Harbor East and Columbia
- Express BusLink 163 – connecting West Baltimore MARC with Tradepoint Atlantic