The Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) said that the entire northbound platform at the BWI MARC/Amtrak Station would be open for passengers at 5:00 a.m. on Wednesday, November 24, 2010. A portion of the northbound platform has been closed to MARC commuters and Amtrak passengers during construction, but barriers will be removed Wednesday morning, Nov. 24, and crews will complete final detail work after the holiday. The improved, longer platform will open in time to ease the expected rush of Thanksgiving holiday travelers.

The rail station near BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport serves the MARC Penn Line and is part of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor. The renovation rebuilt and lengthened the rail station's 1,050 feet northbound and southbound platforms. The new platforms are 700 feet longer, allowing passengers to use all doors on longer nine-car trains. The project also upgraded other services for commuters, including new signs, lights, shelters, and benches. The old platforms were replaced with high-level precast concrete segments.

"The upgrade of the BWI MARC/Amtrak Station is a critical component of our MARC Growth and Investment Plan," said Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley. "This plan will increase our ability to move people more efficiently by rail and reduce our dependence on the automobile." 

The BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Rail Station was dedicated on October 23, 1980 as the first intercity rail station built to serve an airport in the United States. MARC ridership has grown steadily since then. The BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport Rail Station now serves more than 1,800 passengers on a weekday. That is a 50 percent increase from just five years ago.

The platform renovation is just one in a series of improvements MTA and Amtrak are making to the BWI Rail station. Two existing elevators will also be replaced in order to provide more reliable and easier access to the pedestrian bridge. The elevator project is expected to be complete by early 2011.