The U.S. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) announced it has approved the new Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) rail station. The project includes adding a fourth track to 14.5 km of the Northeast Corridor surrounding BWI and reconfiguring the platforms to allow boarding from all four tracks. FRA completed the environmental assessment and preliminary engineering, which will allow final design and then construction to begin. Funding for final design and construction has not yet been identified.
Amtrak and Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC) trains provide passenger rail service at the station, which has seen increased ridership by daily commuters and airline passengers. The station is Amtrak’s thirteenth busiest station in the country.
Currently, there are only three tracks between the Grove Interlocking to the south near Odenton, Md. and the Winans Interlocking to the north near Halethorpe, Md. The addition of a fourth track would increase rail capacity and reliability.
“The current rail station and infrastructure at BWI was built more than 30 years ago and does not support today’s needs or the region’s expected growth. The completion of the environmental review for this project brings BWI one step closer to a safer rail station, reduced rail congestion and increased reliability,” Transport Secretary Anthony Foxx said.
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