Rockville station

Last updated

Rockville
WMATA Red.svg
Rockville Station 072022.jpg
The station in July 2022
General information
Location251 Hungerford Drive and
307 South Stonestreet Avenue
Rockville, Maryland
United States
Coordinates 39°05′03″N77°08′46″W / 39.084238°N 77.146125°W / 39.084238; -77.146125
Owned by WMATA (station)
CSX (tracks) [1]
Line(s)CSX Metropolitan Subdivision
WMATA A Route [2]
Platforms1 island platform (Red Line)
2 side platforms (Metropolitan Subdivision)
Tracks4 (2 for each service)
Connections
Construction
Parking524 spaces
Bicycle facilities Capital Bikeshare, 69 racks and 40 lockers
AccessibleYes
Other information
Station code Amtrak: RKV
History
OpenedDecember 15, 1984 (December 15, 1984)
Passengers
FY 20233,560 annually [3] (Amtrak)
Preceding station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak Following station
Harpers Ferry
toward Chicago
Floridian Washington, D.C.
toward Miami
Preceding station MARC train.svg MARC Following station
Washington Grove Brunswick Line Garrett Park
towards Union Station
Preceding station WMATA Metro Logo small.svg Washington Metro Following station
Shady Grove
Terminus
Red Line Twinbrook
toward Glenmont
Former services
Preceding station BSicon LOGO Amtrak2.svg Amtrak Following station
Gaithersburg
toward Martinsburg
Blue Ridge
1973–1986
Silver Spring
Gaithersburg Shenandoah
1976–1981
Harpers Ferry
toward Chicago
Capitol Limited
1981-2024
Washington, D.C.
Terminus
Preceding station Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Following station
Washington Grove
toward Chicago
Main Line Garrett Park
toward Jersey City
Westmore
toward Chicago
Autrey Park
toward Jersey City
Rockville Railroad Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location98 Church Street, Rockville, Maryland Coordinates 39°4′58″N77°8′42″W / 39.08278°N 77.14500°W / 39.08278; -77.14500 Built1873Architect Ephraim Francis Baldwin Architectural style Queen Anne NRHP reference No. 74000961 [6] Added to NRHPJuly 18, 1974
Location
Rockville station

Rockville station is an intermodal train station located in downtown Rockville, Maryland, United States. It is served by the Washington Metro Red Line, MARC Brunswick Line commuter trains, and Amtrak Floridian intercity trains.

Contents

Rockville station opened in 1873 when the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) built their Metropolitan Branch (now the CSX Metropolitan Subdivision). B&O intercity service served the station until 1971; the station continued to be served by commuter trains (which became the Brunswick Line in the 1980s). Amtrak service began in 1973 with the Blue Ridge , followed by the Shenandoah in 1976, the Capitol Limited in 1981, and the Floridian in 2024.

The station building, designed by Ephraim Francis Baldwin, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 as Rockville Railroad Station. It was moved slightly to the south in 1981 to make room for Metro construction. The modern Metro station opened on December 15, 1984.

History

Rockville station and freight house in 1978, before relocation Rockville MD B&O station 1978.jpg
Rockville station and freight house in 1978, before relocation
The Capitol Limited at Rockville in 1987 Capitol Limited at Rockville station, February 1987.jpg
The Capitol Limited at Rockville in 1987

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) opened its Metropolitan Branch on April 30, 1873, providing direct service to Washington, D.C. from the west. [7] Rockville station opened on May 19, 1873; the convenient access to Washington D.C. caused the town's population to more than double by 1890. [8] The station and the 1887-added fright house were designed by Ephraim Francis Baldwin, head architect of the B&O. [9] [1] Long distance trains did not stop at the station in the B&O era. The first stop on long distance trains out of Washington was Silver Spring station instead. [10]

The station building is among the few original Metropolitan Branch stations to survive. It is a brick Victorian picturesque structure with some Eastlake detailing, particularly in the roofline and gable decoration. [8] The station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 as the Rockville Railroad Station. [6]

When Amtrak took over intercity passenger service on May 1, 1971, it did not include any service on the B&O; Rockville was served only by three daily commuter round trips to Brunswick and Martinsburg. [11] :67 Amtrak introduced the West Virginian (later renamed the Potomac Turbo and Potomac Special) in September 1971; it did not stop at Rockville. [11] :70 The Blue Ridge replaced the Potomac Special on May 5, 1973. [11] :68 The Blue Ridge was timed to serve as a commuter train; eastbound-only stops at Rockville and Gaithersburg were added on July 1, 1973. [11] :70 The Shenandoah , which stopped at Rockville in both directions, was added on October 31, 1976. [11] :68 The Blue Ridge began stopping at Rockville and Gaithersburg in both directions on weekends in 1977. [12] The Shenandoah was replaced by the Capitol Limited on October 1, 1981, at which time weekend service ended on the Blue Ridge. [13] [11] :70 The Capitol Limited was replaced with the Floridian on November 10, 2024.

Construction of a modern station for Amtrak, state-subsidized B&O commuter trains, and the new Washington Metro system began in 1981. [1] On March 2, 1981, the old station and freight house were moved about 50 metres (160 ft) to the south to make way for construction. [8] The new station opened on December 15, 1984, as part of a 7-mile (11 km), four-station extension of the Red Line from Grosvenor–Strathmore station to Shady Grove station. [14] [15] In 1986, the Blue Ridge was taken over by MARC as part of the Brunswick Line—the state-subsidized ex-B&O commuter service—leaving the Capitol Limited as the only Amtrak service to Rockville. [16]

On January 26, 2010, two Metro employees were killed when they were hit by a piece of track equipment at the station. They were installing new train control equipment in the track bed on the outbound track of the Red Line, towards Shady Grove. [17]

From September 11, 2021, to January 16, 2022, the Metro station was closed due to the Rockville Canopy Replacement Project. [18]

Station layout

Amtrak/MARC platforms in July 2012 MARC platforms at Rockville station (1), July 2012.jpg
Amtrak/MARC platforms in July 2012

Rockville station is located on an embankment south of Park Road and east of Hungerford Drive and downtown Rockville, with the Amtrak/MARC platforms just east of the Metro platform. Metro uses a single island platform between the two tracks of the Red Line, while Amtrak and MARC use two low-level side platforms flanking the two tracks of the CSX Metropolitan Subdivision. [1] A pedestrian underpass provides access to the platforms from parking lots, bus bays, and kiss and ride lots on the east and west sides of the station. A footbridge over Hungerford Drive connects the west side of the station to the Montgomery County office buildings and Rockville Town Center. [1]

Related Research Articles

<i>Capitol Limited</i> Amtrak service between Chicago, IL and Washington, D.C.

The Capitol Limited is a temporarily discontinued daily Amtrak train between Washington, D.C., and Chicago, running 764 miles (1,230 km) via Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Service began in 1981. On November 10, 2024, Amtrak temporarily combined the Capitol Limited and Silver Star, producing a Chicago-Washington–Miami route, the Floridian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">MARC Train</span> U.S. passenger rail system in Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area

The Maryland Area Rail Commuter (MARC) is a commuter rail system in the Washington–Baltimore area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) and operated under contract by Alstom and Amtrak on track owned by CSX Transportation (CSXT) and Amtrak. In 2023, the system had a ridership of 3,860,600, or about 14,000 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2024, less than pre-COVID-19 pandemic weekday ridership of 40,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Line (Washington Metro)</span> Washington Metro rapid transit line

The Red Line is a rapid transit line of the Washington Metro system, consisting of 27 stations in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., in the United States. It is a primary line through downtown Washington and the oldest and busiest line in the system. It forms a long, narrow "U," capped by its terminal stations at Shady Grove and Glenmont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Twinbrook station</span> Washington Metro station

Twinbrook station is a rapid transit station on the Red Line of the Washington Metro attached to the Twinbrook neighborhood of Rockville, Maryland. One of a number of stations on the Rockville Pike corridor, it primarily acts as a commuter station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Takoma station</span> Washington Metro station

Takoma station is a Washington Metro station on the Red Line in the Takoma neighborhood of Washington, D.C., bordering Takoma Park, Maryland. The station is considered to be located in part of Takoma Park's Historic District. It is the last station in the District of Columbia on the eastern end of the Red Line heading to Maryland, located east of the intersection of Blair Road NW and Cedar Street NW. The station's parking lot and bus stops are accessed from Eastern Avenue NW, which runs along the DC–Maryland line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L'Enfant Plaza station</span> Washington Metro and VRE station

L'Enfant Plaza station is an intermodal transit station complex located at L'Enfant Plaza in the Southwest Federal Center neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It consists of an underground Washington Metro rapid transit station and an elevated Virginia Railway Express commuter rail station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Carrollton station</span> Washington Metro station

New Carrollton station is a joint Washington Metro, MARC, and Amtrak station just outside the city limits of New Carrollton, Prince George's County, Maryland located at the eastern end of the Metro's Orange Line. The station will also serve as the eastern terminus of the Purple Line, currently under construction, and is adjacent to the Capital Beltway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transportation in Washington, D.C.</span>

Washington, D.C. has a number of different modes of transportation available for use. Commuters have a major influence on travel patterns, with only 28% of people employed in Washington, D.C. commuting from within the city, whereas 33.5% commute from the nearby Maryland suburbs, 22.7% from Northern Virginia, and the rest from Washington, D.C.'s outlying suburbs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Subdivision</span> Railroad line in Washington, D.C. and Maryland, United States

The Metropolitan Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in Washington, D.C. and Maryland.The 53-mile line runs from Washington, D.C., northwest to Weverton, Maryland, along the former Metropolitan Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brunswick Line</span> MARC commuter rail line in Maryland, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.

The Brunswick Line is a MARC commuter rail line between Washington, D.C., and Martinsburg, West Virginia, with a branch to Frederick, Maryland. It primarily serves the northern and western suburbs of Washington. The line, MARC's second longest at 74 miles, is operated under contract to MARC by Alstom and runs on CSX-owned track, including the Metropolitan, Old Main Line, and Cumberland subdivisions. It is the successor to commuter services provided by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), which date to the mid-19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cumberland Subdivision</span> Railroad line in the U.S. states of West Virginia and Maryland

The CSX Cumberland Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Maryland and West Virginia. The line runs from Brunswick, Maryland, west to Cumberland, Maryland, along the old Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road (B&O) main line. At its east end, the Cumberland Subdivision becomes the Metropolitan Subdivision; at its west end at Cumberland, Maryland it becomes the Cumberland Terminal Subdivision. It meets the Shenandoah Subdivision at Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, and the Lurgan Subdivision in Cherry Run, West Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martinsburg station</span> MARC and Amtrak rail station in Martinsburg, West Virginia, US

Martinsburg station is a railway station in Martinsburg, West Virginia, United States, served by MARC Brunswick Line commuter rail service and Amtrak Floridian intercity rail service. The station has one side platform serving a siding track of the CSX Cumberland Subdivision, with a footbridge crossing the siding and the two main tracks to provide access to the preserved Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Martinsburg Shops complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaithersburg station</span> MARC rail station in Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States

Gaithersburg station is a commuter rail station located on the Metropolitan Subdivision in downtown Gaithersburg, Maryland. It is served by the MARC Brunswick Line service; it was also served by Amtrak from 1971 to 1986. The former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad station building and freight shed, designed by Ephraim Francis Baldwin and built in 1884, are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Gaithersburg B & O Railroad Station and Freight Shed. They are used as the Gaithersburg Community Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnesville station</span> MARC rail station in Barnesville, Maryland, United States

Barnesville is an active commuter railroad train station in Barnesville, Montgomery County, Maryland. Located on Beallsville Road, Barnesville station services trains of MARC Train's Brunswick Line between Union Station in Washington D.C. and Martinsburg, West Virginia. Additional trains operate to Frederick, Maryland. Amtrak's Capitol Limited operates through the station, but does not make any stops. The next station west is Dickerson while the next station east is Boyds. Barnesville station contains two low-level side platforms, connected by a pathway across the tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brunswick station (Maryland)</span> MARC rail station in Brunswick, Maryland, United States

Brunswick is a passenger rail station on the MARC Brunswick Line between Washington, D.C., and Martinsburg, West Virginia. The station house, located at 100 South Maple Street in Brunswick, Maryland, is a former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad depot that is a contributing property to the Brunswick Historic District, which has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since August 29, 1979. The station was designed by Ephraim Francis Baldwin and opened in 1891 on Seventh Avenue. Several years later the building was moved to its current location. It is a wooden frame building with stone walls up to the window sills, and features Palladian windows in the roof dormers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bowie Railroad Buildings</span> Railway building and museum in Bowie, Maryland, US

The Bowie Railroad Buildings comprise three small frame structures at the former Bowie train station, located at the junction of what is now the Northeast Corridor and the Pope's Creek Subdivision in the town center of Bowie, Maryland. The complex includes a single-story freight depot, a two-story interlocking tower, and an open passenger shed. The station was served by passenger trains from 1872 until 1989, when it was replaced by Bowie State station nearby. The buildings were restored in 1992 as the Bowie Railroad Museum and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Silver Spring station (Baltimore and Ohio Railroad)</span> Railway station in Montgomery County, Maryland, US

Silver Spring station is a former train station on the Metropolitan Subdivision in Silver Spring in Montgomery County, Maryland. It was built in 1945 by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad on the foundation of a previous station, a Victorian-style brick structure built in 1878. It served intercity trains until 1986 and commuter rail until 2000. Today, it is owned and operated as a museum by Montgomery Preservation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

<i>West Virginian</i> (Amtrak train) Former Amtrak passenger train

The West Virginian, later known as the Potomac Turbo and Potomac Special, was a daily passenger train operated by Amtrak between Washington, D.C., and Parkersburg, West Virginia. This route was previously served by the Baltimore & Ohio's (B&O) train of the same name, and was the first of several services in the state of West Virginia established at the behest of US Representative Harley Orrin Staggers, the powerful chair of the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee. This patronage earned the train the derisive sobriquets "Harley's Hornet" and the "Staggers Special".

<i>Blue Ridge</i> (train) Defunct Amtrak train service

The Blue Ridge was a daily Amtrak passenger train that operated between Washington, D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland. Service began in 1973; it was merged into the MARC Brunswick Line commuter rail service in 1986.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Rockville, MD (RKV)". Great American Stations. Amtrak.
  2. "WMATA MANUAL OF DESIGN CRITERIA" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. August 2014. pp. 8–40.
  3. "Amtrak Fact Sheet, Fiscal Year 2023: State of Maryland" (PDF). Amtrak. March 2024. Retrieved June 27, 2024.
  4. "MARC Brunswick Line Technical Report" (PDF). Maryland Transit Administration . Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  5. "Rail Ridership Data Viewer | WMATA". WMATA. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  6. 1 2 "National Register Information System  Rockville Railroad Station (#74000961)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  7. "The Metropolitan Railroad" (PDF). The Evening Star. Washington, D.C. April 30, 1873. p. 4.
  8. 1 2 3 McGuckian, Eileen (May 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Rockville Railroad Station" (PDF). National Park Service. Includes November 1986 supplement.
  9. Soderberg, Susan C. (1998). The Met: A History of the Metropolitan Branch of the B&O Railroad, Its Stations and Towns. Germantown, MD: Germantown Historical Society. p. 38.
  10. "Baltimore & Ohio Road, Table 13". Official Guide of the Railways. 96 (1). National Railway Publication Company. June 1963.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sanders, Craig (2006). Amtrak in the Heartland. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. ISBN   978-0-253-34705-3.
  12. Amtrak National Train Timetables. Amtrak. May 1, 1977. p. 45 via Museum of Railway Timetables.
  13. Amtrak National Train Timetables. Amtrak. October 25, 1981. p. 32 via Museum of Railway Timetables.
  14. "Metro Facts 2017" (PDF). Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. 2017. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 24, 2018.
  15. Lynton, Stephen J. (December 10, 1984). "Metro Makes a Long Leap". Washington Post.
  16. West Virginia Department of Transportation, State Rail Authority (March 12, 2013). "West Virginia State Rail Plan: Maryland Area Regional Commuter Service". p. 2. Archived from the original on October 7, 2016.
  17. "Two Metro Workers fatally stuck by track equipment | WMATA". Wmata.com. January 26, 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  18. "Rockville Canopy Replacement Project | WMATA". www.wmata.com. Retrieved September 11, 2021.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Rockville station at Wikimedia Commons