Amtrak recently held a ribbon cutting ceremony for a newly constructed boarding platform at Baltimore Penn Station.
“Renovations and upgrades at Baltimore Penn Station, including the new boarding platform just finished, will modernize a historic hub for Baltimore residents and along the Northeast Corridor, helping to accommodate future ridership growth at one of Amtrak’s busiest stations,” Jennifer Mitchell, Federal Railroad Administration deputy administrator, said.
The platform, which is part of a $150 million investment to improve customer experience and grow passenger rail at the station, will provide more than 1,000 linear feet of space when it opens in the spring.
Work included Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant elevators, pedestrian pathways and a renovated headhouse as well as roofing and historical restoration of columns and canopies.
State, local and federal officials, stakeholders and Amtrak representatives attended the ceremony.
Baltimore Penn Station is the eighth busiest station on the Amtrak network. Annually, the station has more than 3 million Amtrak and Maryland Area Rail Commuter passengers.
Amtrak ridership grew 29 percent in Baltimore over the past year, surpassing Amtrak ridership’s 24 percent growth nationally.
A second platform is scheduled to complete in the autumn. Both platforms will support Amtrak’s expansion of high-speed train service.